The Hybrid War
by FrostFromFire
Summary: For five years they had lived a dismally boring existence, but with the scent of Darkness lingering in the air, their mundane lives were uprooted once again, sending them on their next adventure. Beginning SoKai, later SoRiku.
1. Boredom

**To New Readers: **Hi, thanks for checking out my fic. Lately I've gotten several complaints about how this story is labeled as Soriku but is a Sokai. I just wanted to let you guys know that although this story DOES start out as Sokai, the main focus is Soriku. Since Sora has feelings for Kairi in the games, I thought it would be more realistic to start out with Sokai and make it a Soriku fic in later chapters. I have nothing against Kairi; I really like her character. I'm just not a fan of the Sokai pairing, and prefer Soriku. So yeah, the Soriku IS there, it just takes a bit of time for it to build up.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

Chapter One

He stared out into the distance as the sun set behind the evening waves, its rays casting brilliant hues of red, gold and yellow onto the pristine water. Leaning against a wry palm tree, its trunk so crooked that part of it lay parallel to the ground, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the calm ocean lapping at the shore.

His eyes snapped open to the sound of an exasperated sigh, a complaint that managed to destroy the serenity of the landscape.

The girl to his left peered around the less distressed of the two young men, meeting the other's eyes with a confused expression.

"Riku, what's wrong?" asked Kairi, keeping her stare until he reluctantly answered.

"It's… nothing, really," he shrugged away the thought, staring back at the sunset.

Sora shook his head. "Oh, c'mon… you actually think we're going to believe that?"

Silence ensued for several minutes, Sora contemplating the nature of Riku's distress.

Clearing his throat, Riku continued. "I'm just… bored. I've been bored for a really long time."

"What are you getting at?" Kairi raised an eyebrow.

"Remember how exciting our lives used to be?" asked Riku nostalgically as he stared into the dimming sky. "It seems so long ago."

"That's because it _was_," Sora reminded him. "It's been over five years since I woke up, since we were all reunited."

"And not much has happened since then," Riku lamented. "Kairi, do you still have that picture?"

She nodded. "Of course. It's been in my locket since we came back."

She unfastened the heart-shaped necklace from around her neck and handed it to Riku. He opened it and showed the picture to Sora and Kairi, as though they had never seen its contents before. As he looked at it, Sora recognized younger versions of the three friends. He snickered, forgetting how different his appearance had been. He stood in the middle, Riku on his right and Kairi to his left, as they were now. In the photograph he was nearly a head shorter than Riku, though now they had both grown and stood at nearly the same height, both occasionally arguing childishly over who was taller. His hair was mussed and spiky as always. Sora felt his cheeks redden with embarrassment. Had he really been so short and lanky? His eyes shifted to Kairi, her hand clasped in his as she waved with the other. She looked much the same in the picture, though she was now taller and wore her hair past her shoulders.

"Look how happy we were when we got back," she smiled. "We hadn't been home in two years, and even though it meant that one adventure had come to an end, at least we had made it, somehow. At least we were all safe. But now… I think we all miss that life, the unpredictability, never knowing what was coming next, if we would make it out alive…"

Sora crossed his arms across his chest. "So we've all been thinking the same thing. Don't get me wrong, I love Destiny Islands, but I miss going to other worlds. Let's face it: we're not the kind of people who can stand sitting on the beach every weekend for years at a time."

"And yet we have," Riku smirked. "You'd think that over the years, _something _would have happened on at least one of the worlds. But no one's needed us. That letter from the King those years back just happened to be a concentration of Heartless in Hollow Bastion. I mean, once we allied with Leon and the others, it was no problem."

Kairi snickered softly, covering the laugh with her hand.

"What's so funny?" Sora asked.

"We're actually complaining that we don't have to deal with another end of the world scenario."

"Yeah…" Riku trailed off. "But if another one does happen to pop up, try not to get kidnapped this time."

She stuck out her tongue at Riku's jest. "You know very well that I can fend for myself now. I'm so tired of being seen as the burden, being left behind. If something else happens, we're all in this together, no matter what. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Deal."

"Good. And on that note, I'm going to head home," she hopped up from the tree and leaned close to Sora, giving him a kiss goodbye.

"Do you want me to come over later?" he asked.

"Nah," Kairi frowned. "I have to get up really early to go to the mainland for a job interview… Anyway, bye, you two."

As Kairi walked away, Sora and Riku were quiet for several minutes, staring off into the distance as the sun's last rays melted behind the ocean.

It was Riku who broke the silence. "Do you think we'll ever get off this world again?"

Sora pondered the thought for a minute. "Sure we will. Who knows when the next Organization XIII will show up, or when Maleficent will recruit hoards of Heartless again. It's only a matter of time."

Riku laughed, shaking his head.

"Hey! What's so funny?"

"Only you would be optimistic about the pessimistic."

With that note, Riku stood from his leaning position, waving back as he turned away from the ocean and back toward his home. Sora stood alone, wondering how his life had become so mundane.


	2. Collision

**DISCLAIMER: **Owning Kingdom Hearts would be pretty cool, but unfortunately I have nothing to do with Square Enix or Disney.

* * *

CHAPTER TWO: COLLISION

Sora awoke the next morning, his mood sour from contemplating Riku's thoughts. Although he had been ignoring the instincts that told him his life had become dull, he couldn't help but wonder why he and his friends had not been needed in over five years. He questioned whether or not his infamous opponents were biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike.

He, Riku and Kairi had started training almost immediately upon returning to Destiny Islands. Although Kairi was quite inexperienced in hand-on-hand combat at the time, Sora and Riku taught her well, and her skills rivaled even theirs. Although Sora rarely doubted her abilities, he knew Riku worried, stating: "Our fights are fabricated. I'm just worried she'll react differently in real battles". Sora shook his head. Kairi could certainly fend for herself, and he knew she was in no danger of being taken hostage by another towering pyromaniac anytime soon.

Slowly he climbed out of bed, stretching as he prepared for another monotonous day. Sora perked up momentarily. He did have one thing to look forward to: today was a training day. Without haste he went through his morning routine, heading out the door half an hour later.

The old hut his family had used in the summer was a mere five minute walk from their training area, a small, secluded clearing surrounded by a thick overgrowth of palm trees. Sora had walked the twisted path so many times that he no longer worried about losing his way. As he reached the clearing, he saw Riku and Kairi sitting patiently and chatting among themselves.

"Thanks for showing up today," Riku smirked. "Even Kairi made it here before you, and she was on the mainland this morning!"

Kairi giggled. "It's alright. I'm sure Sora has a good excuse."

Sora shrugged. He really didn't; he had just been lazy as of late. Abruptly he steered the subject away from himself. "So how'd the interview go?"

"Not so well," Kairi frowned. "I'm pretty sure I don't have enough experience to even be _considered_. If all else fails, I can just be a bum like the two of you!"

"Hey, we're working on it… the whole job thing," said Riku defensively. Sora suspected that Riku disliked words like _job _and _reality_ even more than he did.

Kairi laughed, jumping to her feet. "Okay, whose turn is it first?"

Riku stood, pulling three strands of beach grass from the sand. One piece was significantly shorter than the other two. He held the sticks in his hand so that only the tops were visible. Holding her breath, Kairi reached for a straw, only to be disappointed at choosing the shortest. "Oh man, looks like I'm sitting out the first round." She stood off to the side as Riku and Sora prepared to fight.

"First one to ten?" asked Sora.

"You're on."

They summoned their weapons, circling each other slowly.

"You're going down," Riku taunted.

"Yeah right; you wish."

Riku lunged forward, Way to Dawn clashing with Ultima. Sora blocked the attack with ease, dodging Riku as he sliced at his arm. Riku attempted to block his attack, but the power from his first one failed to let him move quickly enough. He leaped into the air in retaliation, trying to hit Sora from a different angle. Sora blocked his first attack, but Riku sliced him on the back before he could turn around. He hit him again in the arm as Sora tumbled forward, slashing Riku's legs and knocking him to the ground. He jumped up quickly, sparks flying as their weapons clanged, disrupting the peaceful island. Sora bounded high into the air, Riku following as their blades clamored once again, each hitting one another several times before they fell to the ground.

"What's the score?" yelled Sora.

"Eight to seven - Sora's advantage," said Kairi.

"Not for long," Riku yelled, evening the score with a swipe to Sora's shoulder.

The Keyblade lunged forward, hitting Riku's torso. Sora leaned down, swiping at his legs. He jumped past the attack, hitting Sora across the side and knocking him over.

"Nine to nine!" Kairi informed them.

Bracing himself, Sora jumped up and pushed his feet off of a thick palm tree, swinging the Keyblade at Riku in a final effort. Riku tried to block it, but Sora broke through his defenses and hit Riku square across the chest.

"Yeah! Twelve to nine!" Sora celebrated, Kairi laughing at his childish behavior.

"Twelve? Where'd you get twelve from?" Riku puzzled, dusting himself off.

"Had to give myself a couple points for style with that last attack," Sora grinned.

"You little…" Riku grabbed Sora and put him in a headlock, the two laughing as Sora scrambled to free himself.

"Okay, boys," Kairi laughed. "Let's act our age for once, shall we? Now it's my turn."

"So, who would you rather fight?" asked Sora, breaking away from the headlock.

"Hmm…" she thought. "I think I'll go against Riku this time, since Sora and I had such an epic battle yesterday."

"Sure, if you think you're ready," Riku mocked. "I seem to remember you losing miserably to me last time…"

"Miserably?" Kairi scoffed. "I lost by a grand total of two points! Besides, didn't I hit you four times in a row a couple weeks ago?"

"Only because-"

"Okay guys, enough bickering," said Sora, taking a seat under a shaded palm tree. "Just settle your differences with this battle."

Kairi summoned her Keyblade, and the two prepared to fight, circling each other as they looked for weaknesses. It was Kairi who attacked first, feigning a blow to the right before striking Riku from the left at the last moment. Riku retaliated, swiping at her unguarded midsection. She moved backward and dodged his attack, jumping and grabbing the low-hanging branch of a tree. Kairi swung herself forward, her feet hitting him across the chest.

"Two!" smiled Kairi.

"Some of us never trained with Yuffie," grumbled Riku as he struck Kairi.

She shifted her blade toward Riku's unarmed hand. He put it up to partially block her, a black, misty force shooting out of his palm and knocking Kairi to the ground.

"Huh?" Riku stopped abruptly, dropping his weapon and looking at his left hand. Sora ran to Kairi's aid.

"Are you okay?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

She put a hand to her heart.

"Kairi, I'm so sorry; I don't know how…"

"It's fine, you guys. I'm fine. It was just a little shocking," she said. "With that happening, we obviously have worse things to worry about."

"When was the last time you were able to produce the Dark Aura?" asked Sora.

"Not since that final battle with Xemnas."

"You don't think it's back, do you?" Kairi inquired. "The darkness in your heart?"

"I don't understand how it could be," Riku said, still staring down at his palms. "I've been here; everything's been so static. I think it must have something to do with an outside force."

"Do you think the Heartless are forming again?" asked Sora. "Maybe there's a strong concentration of Nobodies?"

"Heartless, maybe," nodded Riku. "But Nobodies are neither in the light nor the dark."

"Okay, so Heartless it is, then," said Kairi. "At least that's our best guess. So what should we do? Write to the King?"

"Impossible," Sora sighed. "We're stuck on this world. They always seem to be the ones who have to contact _us_. It's never been the other way around. Unless, of course..."

Riku sighed, his voice still stoic from shock."I don't think we have any other choice but to use the vessel."

Kairi nodded. "This definitely qualifies as an emergency."

The three walked back toward the small village, discussing various theories as to why Riku's dark power had returned.

"If the Dark Aura is back, do you think you can create a portal as well?" asked Kairi.

Riku frowned, looking uneasy. "I can try. But you have to remember that traveling to other places without a vessel is dangerous. Be prepared."

Extending his hand, Riku concentrated all his energy on the space in front of him. A seeping, black mist flowed from his palm. After several moments, he put down his hand, shaking his head slowly.

"Nope, I can't do it."

"That's a good thing, right?" asked Sora. "It means that there's not as much darkness in the worlds - or in your heart - as we assumed."

"But something's still going on," Kairi shook her head. "Even if it's not catastrophic, we need to deal with it before it starts destroying worlds again. I say we go into town, get supplies, pack our belongings, and go see the King as quickly as possible."

The three went into town together, each buying several potions and ethers in preparation for their journey. Sora walked back to his house alone, packing a few belongings before meeting Riku and Kairi on the outskirts of town.

"To the garage, then?" asked Sora.

They headed away from town, through and past their training area, and into the thickest part of the forest. Sora strained to see in front of him as he lead his friends through the overgrowth. After some time they reached a secluded clearing that housed a makeshift shack with a strong padlock on its overhead door. Sora took the key out of his pocket and unlocked it. With Riku's help, they lifted the heavy door above their heads, revealing a small, sleek airship. The three grasped the ropes that were attached to the vessel and slowly removed it from the substandard shelter.

"We finally get a chance to use this again," smiled Riku as Sora opened the opened the cockpit and climbed into the driver's seat. Kairi sat next to him, and Riku took one of the two seats in the back of the ship.

Kairi squeezed his hand as he put the key in the ignition. "You're worried. Everything will be fine. We're going to see the King; he'll know exactly what to do."

"Yeah, you're right," said Sora, smiling back at her. He turned the key, the engine starting for the first time in five years.

"Good thing it still works," sighed Riku.

Sora shifted into gear and stepped on the gas pedal, gaining speed. With what little momentum that was needed for the ship to get off the ground, he soared into the air, nearly scraping the treetops as their world diminished behind them.

As he flew the still-familiar path, Sora turned back to face Riku.

"Why are you being so quiet?"

Riku raised an eyebrow. "I'm just reminiscing. It feels like old times, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it-"

"Sora, look out!"

Sora snapped back to attention at Kairi's warning.

"What's happening?"

"I don't-"

The path ahead was veiled in a thick, smoggy darkness. Sora could see nothing as he attempted to maneuver through the unnatural fog.

"Hold tight, guys," he said in a calm voice that did not match his emotions.

"Do you know where we're going?" asked Riku, leaning forward.

"I have no idea," Sora responded. "I'm just trying not to hit anything!"

"How far off track are we?" Kairi posed, her voice shaking.

"I don't know; my radar-"

The ship slammed into an obscure, dark object, jostling its passengers.

"Damn it!" exclaimed Sora, trying to steer the malfunctioning ship. Looking into the pitch black atmosphere, he noticed a miniscule light in the distance. He accelerated the power and sped toward it, zooming through the seemingly infinite darkness. The blinding light smashed into the vessel, and his world grew dark.


	3. Hybrids

**DISCLAIMER: **The rights to Kingdom Hearts belong to Square Enix and Disney, not me.

* * *

CHAPTER THREE: HYBRIDS

Sora awoke to a splitting headache. A piece of metal was slammed against his shoulder, creating a large, purple bruise. He opened his groggy eyes and looked around the cabin. Kairi's body lumbered, nearly folded in half against the seat. Riku's head was perched against the window, his body bloodied from glass that had shattered upon impact.

"Oh, no…" said Sora weakly, casting a heal spell on the entire cabin. Fully healed, his friends quickly snapped back to reality.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Riku, removing his seat belt as he tried to stand.

"I have no idea," responded Kairi. "We collided with that… light. Where are we?"

Sora forced open the smashed door with all his strength, climbing down the small ladder and onto the world below. He was greeted by a somber, gray landscape. Its snow-capped mountains reached toward the sky, surrounding their broken ship in a flat valley.

"The Great Maw," whispered Sora. "We landed at Radiant Garden!"

"By the looks of things, it should be called Hollow Bastion again," said Riku as he looked at the bleak surroundings.

"Let's go find Leon and the others," said Kairi as she began walking toward the town. "Maybe they have some idea of what's going on."

Sora and Riku fell into step with her as they headed toward Radiant Garden's town. They walked through the familiar crystal fissure and back toward the bailey.

"Something's wrong," said Sora, observing its fractured architecture. "Last time we were here, the bailey still hadn't been restored, right?"

"Right…" nodded Riku.

"Well then, why is it in even more disarray? They were trying to fix up the town, but it looks even worse than it did five years ago."

As Sora apprehensively started up the bailey's staircase, his Keyblade materialized in his hand.

"Wha..."

"Look out!" screamed Kairi.

A large gray beast lunged at the three, knocking Sora to the ground. It seemed deformed, its thin legs mismatched and too small for its muscular body. Its crazed, beady eyes stared into them as it charged rapidly around the small area. The three swung their weapons at it, trying to corner their attacker. Sora swung repeatedly at its head, dodging it as it tried to charge him into walls. Riku evaded its attacks, striking its softer midsection. Kairi leaped onto its back, a feat that the other two were too tall to accomplish, and struck it from a position the monster could not reach.

With a final blow of his Keyblade, Sora finished off the unknown fiend. It faded into nothingness, leaving the three shocked and confused.

"What was _that_?" asked Riku as he caught his breath.

"I have no idea," responded Sora. "Let's get out of here before something else attacks us."

"Too late!" a strong, resonating voice echoed through the area. "Drop your weapons and HOLD STILL!"

A man and two women sprung through the opposite doorway. The man had brown hair and a scar running across his face. The shorter woman to his right wore a headband and wielded a shuriken. The taller had long, dark hair and a staff at the ready.

Sora's jaw dropped.

"Are you with the HRO?" asked the taller girl.

"The _what_?" Kairi demanded.

"No, they just killed a Hybrid. Why would they be with the HRO?"

"Nobodies, then?"

"What are you talking about?" yelled Riku.

"Don't play dumb with _us_, you jokers!"

Sora shook his head rapidly. "Wait a minute, I-"

"Ready to confess?"

"Leon! Yuffie! Aerith! It's us!" Sora shouted.

"Who?" Leon asked, lowering his weapon slightly.

"Sora, Riku and Kairi!"

A look of dawning comprehension reached the three opponents' faces as they abruptly lowered their weapons.

"You're all covered in soot... I didn't recognize you. We just assumed you were bad news," explained Leon.

"Sorry about the confusion," apologized Aerith.

Yuffie bound forward, pulling Sora's head down to her level and looking into his eyes, examining his features.

"Hmm…" she pondered. "Yep, it's Sora; no doubt about it. Warn us next time you shoot up several feet, okay?"

Sora laughed at her joke, and the reunited friends continued walking toward town.

"So what brings you three to Radiant Garden?" asked Aerith.

Riku shrugged. "It's an accident that we're here at all. My dark powers started coming back and we were trying to reach the King. Once we got out into space, we noticed everything was covered in darkness. Our ship crashed, and we're here by pure chance."

"Well, you couldn't have landed in a better place," said Leon. "We're the ones who, besides the King, know the most about the situation. Merlin left to meet with him a couple years ago and never returned. We're sure he's okay, since we got a letter from him before the dark mist settled in around the worlds. However, he's trapped on the King's world."

Leon opened the door to Merlin's house, and the six walked into the large living room. They were greeted by Cid, who was sitting at the computer as always. Cloud leaned against the wall, observing Cid's actions.

"Well, well… look what the cat dragged in," joked Cloud, raising his hand in a bored greeting. He seemed to be the only one who recognized the three among their drab, dirty faces.

Cid turned around abruptly in his chair. "Leon, the hell are these people doin' here? "

"It's Sora, Riku and Kairi," said Aerith. "Their ship crash-landed here."

"Damn, wouldn't've guessed," said Cid, tapping the ashes from his cigarette. "What brings you all here? Hybrids attack your world, too?"

"Huh? Hybrids?" asked Sora. "What're you talking about?"

"Take a seat and we'll explain it all to you," said Aerith. She walked to the stove and put a kettle of water on the burner.

"A couple years ago, a new species attacked our home. They were gray, disfigured things, neither Heartless nor Nobodies. After discovering where they came from, we decided to call them Hybrids." explained Leon.

"Why 'Hybrids'?" asked Riku. "What are they?"

"A Hybrid is a cross between a Heartless and a Nobody," explained Aerith.

"But… wait a minute," Kairi interrupted. "If a Heartless and a Nobody merge, don't they become a whole person again?"

"In normal cases they do," said Yuffie. "But the problem we have here is that the Nobodies and Heartless that merge were never the same person to begin with. See, stronger Nobodies had the idea that, as long as they got a heart, even the caged heart of a Heartless, they would be whole again. So they went around capturing Heartless from the fringes of the worlds."

"But how does a Nobody manage to capture a Heartless's heart and take it for itself?" asked Sora.

"The Nobody must fight the Heartless until it's nearly dead," said Leon. "When the heart is released, the Nobody steals the heart for itself. But we have to take into consideration that this is an extremely corrupted heart that has just left a Heartless. When this stolen heart merges with its new owner, the combination backfires. This heart holds the memories and corruption of its once full person. They don't match with the memories and fabricated emotions of the Nobody who takes it. If the Nobody isn't strong enough to handle the foreign heart, it turns into one of the beasts that have invaded our town. If the Nobody does manage to come out of it with their human side still fully intact, well… then we have a problem."

"These Hybrids can also extend control over both Heartless and Nobodies," continued Aerith. "Stronger Heartless and generally evil people had control over Heartless in the past, and stronger Nobodies controlled the weaker ones. Since Hybrids are a mixture of both, they have bigger armies at their disposal."

"So what happens if we defeat one?" posed Riku. "Is the heart released and the Nobody destroyed, or do they go back to their Heartless and Nobody states?"

"That we don't know," said Cloud as he began to pace the room. "Since strong Heartless and Nobodies look so different from their Hybrid counterparts, it's difficult to tell if we run into their former selves."

"Whose idea was all of this?" asked Sora. "It sounds like something Organization XIII would come up with."

"But they're gone… aren't they?" said Kairi uncertainly.

"Yes. As far as we know, neither Organization XIII, nor any of its members, have returned," explained Cloud. "But it _is_ someone you're all acquainted with."

"It's not Xehanort's Heartless again, is it?" sighed Sora.

The response yielded negative responses.

"Maleficent?" asked Riku.

"Nope," said Yuffie.

"Sephiroth?"

"They're never going to guess," said Leon, taking a deep breath. "It's Ansem the Wise's Hybrid."

Awestruck confusion plastered itself onto the faces of the three visitors, all too dumbfounded to speak.

Sora finally found words. "But he… we thought he died when he tried to seal away Kingdom Hearts!"

Aerith shook her head, pouring cups of tea for the newcomers. "That's what the King told us, but his Nobody's Hybrid has been causing problems throughout the worlds. He's the reason we're all confined to specific worlds now."

"What could've possibly caused this?" fumed Riku.

Kairi put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe his self sacrifice turned him into a Heartless. It's not like we haven't seen it before."

Sora thought back to the time when he had sacrificed himself for Kairi, plunging the Keyblade into his heart to save hers. This act temporarily turned him into a Heartless, and his Nobody had acted on his own in a completely different way than he would have.

"So what has Ansem's Hybrid been doing?"

"He created a group called the HRO: the Hybrid Revolutionary Organization," continued Yuffie. "They're pretty bad news if you ask me. Their main ploy is to create, and then destroy, as many Heartless as they can. Of course, this just creates a domino effect, because what do more Heartless create? More Nobodies. What do those Nobodies want? Hearts."

Riku put his head in his hands, speaking through them in a muffled voice. "So what are we supposed to do about this? What _can _we do if we're trapped on one world?"

"Oh, c'mon, Riku. We can help out here. Once we get rid of the Hybrids at Radiant Garden, maybe we'll be able to leave this world and take care of the problem for good."

"This is gonna take longer than you kids realize," Cid interjected for the first time. "I can get your ship workin' again, that's for sure, but that mist ain't gonna clear up 'til we get rid of the Hybrids."

"In that case, where do we start?" asked Sora, standing from the table.

"Whoa, take it easy," Leon chuckled. "You three need to rest up first before you do anything. We'll brief you on what we've been doing and see what ideas you come up with. We'll get you settled in and talk about this in the morning."

-- -- --

Sora stared out the window, looking at the quiet world below. A few dying street lamps illuminated the solemn world, reflecting off of the half-timbered houses and gray stone walls. A crescent moon stooped in sorrow as it looked upon Radiant Garden's dreariness.

He felt arms wrap around his torso, a chin resting gently on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" a voice whispered.

"Yeah," he answered, turning around to face Kairi. "It's kind of ironic though, isn't it? A couple days ago we were complaining about how bored we were and how we needed another adventure. Now that we have one, we're acting like it's the end of the world and we won't be able to achieve anything."

"You've been listening to Riku's pessimism too much," she smiled, grazing his cheek with her hand.

Sora wrapped his arms around Kairi, pulling her close. "You're right. We thought our other missions were difficult, but we ended up on top every time. Why should this be any different?"

"Exactly," she said, brushing her lips against his. "See, that's one of the reasons I love you so much. You always see the best in every situation."

"All thanks to you," he said, kissing her softly.

Kairi pulled away, smiling up at Sora. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'm sure we'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Goodnight; love you."

"Love you, too."

Kairi walked out of the room, leaving Sora alone with his thoughts. He knew he needed to sleep, but pondered what the next day would bring. Eventually he went to bed, half fearing and half anticipating the morning's commencement.


	4. Encounter

**DISCLAIMER: **Kingdom Hearts n'est pas le mien.

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR: ENCOUNTER

Sora awoke early the next morning as the dim sun shone its rays on Hollow Bastion. He rose and washed up, preparing for the day before heading downstairs. Riku sat alone at the table as the rest of the home slept. He tipped his glass of water as a greeting to Sora, who took a seat across from him.

"Sleep well last night?" asked Riku.

"Well enough, but I can see you didn't," Sora observed, seeing the tiredness in his eyes.

"Nah, I'm fine," smirked Riku. "Besides, this is the first time in what seems like years that I didn't get at least eight hours of sleep. I think I'm just excited to kick some Hybrid ass today."

Sora chuckled. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? Want to warm up? It might give us an edge when we're actually in battle."

"Yeah, okay," he smiled. "Because it'll definitely be something new and unexpected. I mean, I _never _battle you. I'm sure this'll _really _help us."

"Fine, be a smartass," yelled Sora as he sped out the door. "If I run into any Hybrids while I'm training, I guess I'll just have to take care of them myself."

Riku jumped out of his seat. "Hey! Wait up!"

He bounded after Sora, his weapon materializing as he exited the house.

"Sora?" he asked, looking around in confusion. His friend was nowhere in the vicinity.

He braced himself, assuming the worst. But how could Sora have been overtaken so easily by the obviously weaker Hybrids? Was it because he had never fought such a creature before?

"_What's going on?" _thought Riku, his Keyblade at the ready.

Logic told him the Hybrids couldn't have possibly gotten to Sora that quickly; he was too strong and able for that. Still, in the back of his mind lingered the unbearable fear of losing his best friend.

"Sora!" he yelled.

He heard a slight movement from behind, but before he could move, he was tackled onto the cobblestone walk. Rolling across the ground, he threw the force onto the stone path. He attempted to stand as he faced his oppressor, only to stumble down, suppressing his own laughter.

"Sora, you idiot," he said in mocked sternness to the young man laying next to him.

"Oh, c'mon, Riku," Sora laughed. "You've gotta learn to be on your guard!"

"I _was _on my guard. But I doubt any run-of-the-mill Hybrid is going to attack _quite _that fast."

"What about Ansem's Hybrid?" Sora challenged.

"Hmm…" Riku thought, staring up at the sky. "I knew Ansem. If he were in a battle, he'd want to give it as much eloquence and style as possible."

"Typical," Sora grinned.

"I know," Riku met his eyes, smiling back. Slowly he rose to his knees and stood, grabbing Sora's hand to help him up. "What now?"

"I guess we train until the others are ready to go," shrugged Riku, raising his strange Keyblade.

"Sounds good to me. Ready, set-"

"Well, well…" the two friends snapped their heads to the direction of the voice. Two menacing figures slowly materialized in front of their eyes. Both men were tall, their strength showing through muscled shirts. One had blond hair that draped down to his shoulders, his bangs covering one eye as the other scowled at the Keyblade masters. He wore drab clothing: a pair of faded jeans and a tattered shirt. The other looked almost amused, his brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. His shirt and holey jeans were in a similar state as the other's. Riku immediately noticed that they had none of the style and grace of Organization XIII.

"And who would you two happen to be?" asked the blond, speaking in a deep voice that, to Riku, sounded almost bored.

"Why does it matter to you?" asked Sora, raising his Keyblade.

A look of terror struck the other man's face, and he attempted to run the other direction. The more collected Hybrid grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Xeron, control your heart. There's no reason for Hybrids like us to fear the Keyblade."

"That's what you think," Riku retorted. "We've taken down a lot of Heartless and Nobodies with these. Why would Hybrids be any different?"

The speaker laughed. "How little did your friends tell you about Hybrids? We're much stronger than any Nobody or Heartless. You can try to fight us, but you _will _lose."

With that, the two Hybrids raised their weapons. Xeron held a handful of large, menacing throwing stars, and his unnamed partner wielded a two sided sword.

"Let's go after the wuss first," whispered Sora. Riku nodded, and the two leaped at him.

Almost immediately, Xeron threw his weapons at Sora and Riku. Sora narrowly evaded the attack, but one of the stars ripped into Riku's shoulder blade. It felt as though poison ripped through his veins as he tore the star out of his arm. He threw it back at its owner and struck him with Way to Dawn. Sora swung next, hitting the man repeatedly in the chest. He yelped in pain with every blow. Realizing his opponents' plan of action, the other Hybrid charged after Sora, ripping open his flesh with a swipe of his sword. Realizing their first plan of action would not work under the circumstances, Sora ignored Xeron and exclusively attacked the other.

He moved so quickly that Sora struggled to keep up with him. He swung his sword with such ease and dexterity that Sora tired of leaping around it and avoiding its sharp blades. He tried to strike the man, but most of his attempts were easily blocked.

"_How is he doing this?" _Sora thought frantically, at last dealing a series of blows to his opponent. The man recovered quickly, hitting Sora with the blunt of his sword and throwing him back several feet. Momentarily dazed, he shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He hopped up, raising his Keyblade in a defensive position as the blond man struck again.

The door to Merlin's house slammed open. Leon, Cloud, Kairi, and Yuffie bound out, taking positions near Sora and Riku.

"Back off, Fuzen," barked Leon. "You're outnumbered!"

"There's no need to protect these pitiful newcomers," he flashed a wry smile. "I'm sure we can settle this another time… Squall."

Fuming, Leon rushed at Fuzen, his Gunblade raised overhead.

"You need not overreact, Squall. We'll finish this later on more equal grounds," he said in a bored voice as he and Xeron disappeared into nothingness.

The group stood frozen for several moments before a dumbfounded Riku spoke. "Who were _they_?"

"Members of the HRO, Fuzen and Xeron," explained Leon. "Fuzen has a high ranking in their organization, but Xeron just acts as his minion."

"Do you know who they were before they became Hybrids?" asked Sora. "Xeron actually reminds me of Demyx."

Cloud nodded. "Xeron _could _have Demyx's Other's heart, but we'd have no way of knowing without directly asking and him complying. We DO know whose Nobody he used to be, though."

Sora, Riku and Kairi looked at him expectedly.

"An old enemy, and later ally, of mine. A man named Reno."

"It doesn't ring a bell," Kairi shook her head.

"It was back before Leon and Merlin joined us," explained Cloud. "Back before Tifa left. We were trying to save our world from a company that was draining the life out of the planet. We were at odds with Reno until he finally realized that he was on the wrong side and joined our forces."

"If he changed his ways, then how did he end up becoming a Heartless?" asked Sora. "And for that matter, why is he such a coward?"

"I'm guessing you've figured out by now that some people are just victims of the Darkness," explained Yuffie. "He was one of them. He was overtaken several years ago by a massive influx of Heartless. There were just too many attacking for one man to deal with. He became one, and his Nobody split from his original self. As for why he's so pitiful… well, that has nothing to do with Reno's personality; we're guessing that has everything to do with his stolen heart."

"What happened to his Heartless, then?" Riku posed.

"Since he _wasn't _evil like the majority of powerful Heartless are, we think he turned into a Shadow," Leon shook his head. "He could still be alive, but any one of us could have accidentally killed him… we'd have no way of knowing."

Sora's head stopped. "How many innocent people do you think we've killed… innocent people who were just victims of the Darkness?"

Riku put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey… there wasn't much of a chance of them being turned back into their former selves. You and Kairi are probably the only exceptions. You were releasing their hearts that otherwise would've remained trapped forever. Think of it that way."

"Listen to Riku, Sora," said Kairi. "If we don't keep this attitude, we'll never accomplish anything."

"I guess you're right," Sora recovered, still feeling uneasy and regretful as he cleared his throat to change the subject. "But Leon, why did Fuzen call you Squall?"

"That's not important," Leon replied tartly. "What _is_ important is that we take down those bastards. Agreed?"

There was a loud consent among the group. Cloud addressed their next actions in the situation. "So now that we have a stronger alliance, how are we going to approach this?"

Aerith walked out of the house and shut the door behind her. "Cid agreed to hold down the fort, so I'll be coming with you guys today."

"Great; we'll probably need a strong healer!" chirped Yuffie.

Sora raised an eyebrow. _Aerith could fight?_

"Sora, Riku, Kairi," Aerith addressed them, as though she could read their minds. "Trust me; I know how to fight."

Smiling at her in false confidence, Sora tried to hide his lack of faith in Aerith's battle skills.

"She's tougher than she looks," Cloud smirked, pausing before he continued. "Let's split up; I think we'll be able to get more done."

"Wait," Riku interrupted. "What, exactly, are we doing?"

"We _may _want to brief them on that, Cloud," Leon shook his head. "Basically, the Hybrids have a stronghold in a mountain cave nearby. We're going to infiltrate it and try to take out as many as we can. Cloud will scout ahead, since he knows the paths the best. The rest of us will split into two groups."

"I call my protégée!" yelled Yuffie, grabbing Kairi by the arm. Kairi laughed at her abruptness. "Let's see how many ninja moves you can remember! You couldn't have a better teacher!"

"Then I'll go with you, too," said Leon. "Someone needs to balance out Yuffie."

Looking hurt, Yuffie put her hands on her hips. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Leon shook his head. "You're just a little high strung sometimes."

"Hmph, well… Fine, I just figured Sora would want to go with Kairi."

Sora shrugged. "I _am _kind of afraid of something happen-"

Kairi glared at him fiercely. "You and Riku… You're always afraid that if you leave me alone for two seconds that something bad will happen. Have a little faith in your training, okay? I'm not the poor, helpless girl you had to save before. Now I can fight."

Sora shook the thought from his mind. "You're right. I shouldn't doubt you, Kairi. I'm sure you can take care of yourself."

She smiled. "Well, now that that's settled, how are we going about this?"

"There are two paths that lead up to their fortress," Aerith explained. "The cave is quite big, and has two entrances. Leon, Kairi, and Yuffie will attack from the east entrance, and the three of us will attack from the west. Cloud will leave first and sneak in through the east to tell us the best way to go about attacking."

"Leave in about ten minutes. Good luck," murmured Cloud as he waved to the others before jogging away from the town.

"What's _his _deal?" asked Riku, raising an eyebrow.

"I forgot he wasn't here last time we were at Radiant Garden," said Sora. "That's just… well, Cloud's a little different, let's just leave it at that. Last I knew, he went off to destroy Sephiroth. I was afraid to ask while he was here… How'd that pan out?"

Aerith sighed, shaking her head. "I _think _he destroyed him. The only thing he said about the matter was: 'It's finished'. I've tried to get him to elaborate, but it's no use."

"What happened to the girl who was following after him?" Sora asked.

"Tifa? She didn't come back," explained Aerith. At Sora's saddened expression, she added: "Oh, no; she's not dead. I think Cloud told her to stay away. They've known each other since they were children. He's afraid of hurting her. Knowing Tifa, though, she's out there helping us even if we don't see her."

The six spent the rest of their waiting period conversing in small talk, Sora still felt nervous about leaving Kairi in her first real battle. His head told him that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, as she had said, but a lingering dread crept into his heart nonetheless. At least Riku was still in his group, he thought. However, he had witnessed first hand Riku's ability to fend for himself, and didn't worry about him as much. As they parted from the other group, Sora waved, looking at Kairi one last time.

He stopped in his tracks and turned on his heel. "Kairi?"

"Yeah, Sora?"

He ran up to her, his heart pounding. His arms encircled her small frame, and he pulled her close. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her passionately. "Be careful," he whispered.

She giggled quietly. "Calm down. Everything will be fine. There's no need to worry about me. You just watch out for Riku and Aerith; got it?"

"I know," he smiled. "You're not some frightened little girl getting captured anymore. Now go kick some ass, will you?"

She laughed. "Sure thing, Sora."

They broke their embrace, and Sora returned to his respective party, waving to the others as they started down the path.

Riku snorted as they walked out of hearing range.

"What now?"

"That was a little… overdramatic, don't you think?" Riku smiled lightheartedly. "I don't see you getting so flustered over _me _going into battle."

"Oh yeah? Would you prefer I did?" Sora jestingly challenged.

"Blech," said Riku, looking disgusted. "I think I'll pass, thanks."

"Now come on, guys," Aerith said in a gentle but stern voice. "Don't lose your heads in all this bickering. We have to concentrate on the task at hand."

Sora and Riku shrugged to each other. She was right.

The three walked on in silence as they climbed the path up the mountain. Thoughts swarmed through Sora's head as he considered the outcome of their attack. If they won, they would control a small Hybrid stronghold. If they lost… well, Sora didn't want to think of the horrors that option could entail. As they neared the cave's threshold, Aerith put a finger to her lips to signify their silence. Quietly they crept up the ledge that led to the west entrance. Sora braced himself, his Keyblade drawn, as they entered the cave.


	5. Siege

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts... I mean, I _own _Kingdom Hearts, just not the rights to it.

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE: SIEGE

Aerith crept in first, shuffling quietly among the shadows in the dimly lit cavern. She had her staff drawn, though she held it near her side in an almost optimistic hope for settling things without confrontation. Riku felt inwardly disdainful of this attitude. He doubted this would end without a fight. Fuzen and Xeron would most likely be here, and who knew how many other Hybrids hid among these walls? It was foolish not to hold one's weapon in a striking position.

As he peered around the small space, he made another observation that the HRO were technologically backward compared to Organization XIII.

"_Is _that _supposed to be their weapons arsenal?" _he questioned, seeing a crate full of rusted and broken swords, daggers and guns. _"What a joke. These guys should be no problem."_

It worried him, however, that Fuzen had proved to be such a difficult adversary to Sora. Riku inwardly knew that Sora was the most skilled fighter out of the group, and the fact that Fuzen had given Sora such a difficult time almost made him doubt a victorious outcome. He shook the thought away. With such a powerful alliance, they _had _to win.

Riku strained his ears, hearing muffled voices from the next chamber. They slowly snuck closer until their words became discernable.

"That's not the point," sounded a voice that Riku recognized as Xeron's. "We _just _saw them. We fought with them only an hour ago!"

A familiar woman's voice echoed as she laughed. The three eavesdroppers held their breath. "Xeron, if only you could get a new heart… that one is too easily intimidated by the Keyblade. Remember that you are a Hybrid. Hybrids don't the fear the Keyblade."

Xeron sighed exasperatingly. "Look, Maleficent… I've heard stories. I know you've underestimated its powers before. And this time it isn't one Keyblade - it's two."

"_Three, actually," _thought Riku with a smirk.

"So the idiot Riku has joined the side of light for good…" she said droningly. "How unfortunate… he has such potential for the Darkness. The boy Sora does as well, if only he would open his heart to it. I suppose we'll see in good time."

Riku's grip tightened on his Keyblade. He abhorred Maleficent more than any Heartless or Nobody that had tried to destroy them. He felt dark energy surge through his hand and ricochet off the crate of weapons, clamoring loudly throughout the chamber.

"It sounds as though someone's here," said Maleficent, her voice bored. "I'll leave you to take care of it. Prove yourself and handle this situation."

"Why do they always leave _me _to deal with the bullshit?" Xeron from the other room.

Without warning, Xeron jumped into the room, his throwing stars braced in his hands.

"Oh… It's you three," he said, thrusting a star at Aerith. She deflected it with a quick motion of her staff.

"Reno, listen to us, please," she pleaded. "We just want to talk."

"Did you _really _just call me by my Other's name?" he asked, lowering the stars slightly. "Because see, as far as I'm concerned, I _exist _now, and he's just some pitiful Heartless who's completely lost all sense of himself."

"But we can help you," Aerith continued. "Maybe… maybe we can find Reno, and then you can be whole again."

"That's the thing, _Aerith_," he spat her name bitterly. "I don't want to go back to being a part of my Other. I want to be whole, my own entity. And I am." He directed his attention to Sora. "Key guy, what's your name again?"

"Sora…" he answered hesitantly, as though wondering where the obscure conversation was headed.

"Yeah, Sora; that's right," he said, gesturing in false remembrance. "I ran into some boy named Roxas some years back. That doesn't ring a bell, _does it_?"

"Don't let him intimidate you," whispered Riku.

"You know Roxas is my Nobody," accused Sora. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Where's Roxas? I haven't seen him around in quite awhile." Xeron questioned.

"He's part of me now, like he was before I became a Heartless."

"Aha. And that, you see, is what I have a _little _problem with," he inflected. "See, I'm not content being a part of a Somebody. I want to be whole on my own. How would you like it if you and Roxas were switched, Sora? If you were the Nobody and he were the Somebody?"

"I would do exactly what Roxas did in the end," scowled Sora. "Because that was the right choice to make. You and the rest of the HRO are being selfish and causing destruction on the worlds and you don't even care. You have the hearts that you wanted so badly, and now all you do is cause problems!"

"_I'm _causing problems?" Xeron retorted, looking insulted. "We'll see who's causing problems!"

He raised his menacing stars again, throwing them at Riku, Sora, and Aerith in a row. These stars were different; they ripped through flesh before tearing right back out, coming back to Xeron like boomerangs, his gloved palms catching them.

"Xeron, I really didn't want to do this…" warned Aerith, looking regretful. She held her staff parallel to her body. A shroud of flames shot from it, aiming directly at their opponent. The inferno enveloped Xeron, and he screamed as the fire slowly dissipated.

"Aerith, how could you?" he hissed in pain.

"You have the conflicting emotions of a Hybrid," she said sternly. "Please think with your head. Remember what your old heart felt."

"Look… Aerith… I'm sorry," he said, staring at the ground. The now familiar gray vines of Hybrid teleportation appeared, and Xeron drew himself out of the cave.

She shook her head, pausing for a moment of recovery before addressing Sora and Riku. "Let's keep going."

* * *

Kairi felt as though her heart was about to leap out of her throat as she followed Leon and Yuffie up the mountainous trail. She gripped her Keyblade tightly, running procedures and training through her head. _"Use both hands when blocking. Use one when striking. Two gives you more power, but a lot less speed. Side swipes are faster than overhead ones, but also inflict less damage."_ She had done every maneuver she knew countless times, but still she worried. After all, this would be her first real battle. Kairi bit her lip nervously. What if she couldn't keep up with the fight? Would Sora and Riku think she was better off staying at the house? And would she agree to this, seeing as she would only be a burden on the group? She shook her head. No, Riku, Sora and Yuffie had taught her too much. She was going to fight, and she was going to take out as many Hybrids as she could.

"Cheer up, Kairi," Yuffie smiled, seeing Kairi's distressed expression. "You're gonna do great; trust me. How could someone _I _taught _not _do well?"

She giggled at Yuffie's feigned arrogance. "You're right. I just need to calm down."

Leon nodded. "Just take it easy. Remember to keep your cool and don't panic. There's nothing worse you can - huh?"

The receiver in Leon's pocket beeped. He picked it up and answered the signal. "How is it?"

Cloud's voice crackled through the receiver. "There aren't any Hybrids guarding the west entrance, since it's mostly used for an escape route. I don't think they know we know about it. The east, though… there are Heartless guards standing watch. I'll join up with you three to fight them. I'm hiding near the entrance right now. I'll attack once they see you."

"Sounds like a plan. Over and out." Leon slipped the receiver back into his pocket.

Kairi swallowed. Her first true battle was mere minutes away. _"Sora didn't have to put up with this waiting," _she thought. _"The Heartless attacked, the Keyblade appeared in his hand, boom. Nothing to it. I can't stand waiting and having to think about it."_

"Are you ready, Kairi?" asked Yuffie in a whisper. "It's just around the next bend in the path."

She could feel her heart pounding furiously as they neared it. Kairi imitated the others as they peeked their heads around the corner. Just as Cloud had said, four menacing Heartless stood at the entrance of the cave. She did not know the technical name for them, as she was sure Sora and Riku did, but they struck her as looking like humanoid figures clad in iron. The strangest thing about these creatures was that they held shields that resembled the heads of bulldogs. Not only did they resemble this trait, but they also barked and snarled.

Yuffie put a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "On the count of three, we'll surprise them. There's nothing to worry about. One, two, three!"

Leon, Yuffie and Kairi bound out from behind the bend. Cloud took this as his signal and leaped out from behind a ledge. The Heartless stood their ground, but slowly advanced on the four.

"Just concentrate on one, Kairi," Leon instructed as he smashed his Gunblade into one of the centered guards, knocking the shield backward so that the Heartless nearly lost its balance. At this, Kairi bound forward, attacking one of the end Heartless. Her Keyblade smashed against the shield, but attacking it seemed futile. She dodged behind the beast and struck at its back repeatedly. It groaned the horrible noise of an injured Heartless as it turned around to face her again. She rolled away from it - a move she picked up from Sora that he rarely used anymore - and knocked it square in the head. She jumped in the air, kicking it across the back before digging her Keyblade into the Heartless. With a last groan of despair, it wisped away into nothingness, its heart floating away into the sky.

For the first time since the battle had begun, she focused her attention on the others once more. Yuffie was dusting herself off as Leon sheathed his Gunblade, Cloud putting his buster sword over his back.

That was really impressive for your first battle!" Yuffie kept her voice low, but it chirped nonetheless. "_Not _that we should be surprised!"

"Well, I've had five years of training," Kairi smiled sheepishly as they neared the cave's entrance. Leon heaved at the heavy steel door that blocked their entry, but it refused to budge.

Kairi eagerly opened the door with her Keyblade. She pointed it at the lock and it clicked open immediately. With a small smirk of gratitude, Leon slammed open the door, revealing three awestruck Hybrids frozen in their game of poker. They sat on primitive stools, using an old milk crate as their table. They jumped up, clumsily knocking over the table in surprise.

"You're outnumbered," said Leon as they stared back. "If you let us take over this stronghold, we'll let you go freely."

Kairi suspected that Leon's offer was just a precursor to an imminent battle. They looked seasoned, and she doubted he was ignorant enough to believe that these three would agree to his demands without a fight. In the middle of the three stood a tall, vapid woman with sweeping brown hair that inched down past her waist. She had dark irises, nearly black, that seemed to seep into Kairi's soul. Now that she paid attention to the fact, she noticed that the woman had been staring at her with an expression of pure loathing, her sullen eyes darkened by sleepless circles under them. Kairi wondered what the reasoning behind her hatred was, but tried to dismiss it as being purely based on the fact that she was the opposition. Her clothes were less shabby than the other Hybrids Kairi had seen, but still showed signs of wear. Sleek black pants were tucked into leather boots that stopped halfway up her calf. She wore a billowing shirt that had only one sleeve, her bare arm covered in black bracelets. The other two Hybrids were less discernable, and she judged by their appearance that they ranked lower than the woman. A burly bald man stood to her right, his cargo pants stained with dirt and grime from their isolationist lifestyle. He wore a thick leather jacket that Kairi assumed protected him from attacks. The other was shorter and slightly lanky, though Kairi judged by the loathsome look on his face that his appearance was deceiving.

After a moment, the woman laughed. With an evil grin on her face, she held up her hand and shot spidery wires out of her hand, pointing them at Leon. He deflected several, but the numerous strands continued to wrap around his body and constrict him until he could no longer move. He fell to the ground, squirming in a futile effort to free himself.

Kairi stared in awe, frozen in the spot. What kind of magic did this woman possess?

"Well, now that we're at even odds, I'm sure it won't bother _Squall _if we fight. I have but one request," the woman smiled wickedly to her comrades. "_I _kill the girl."

"Don't even think about it!" Cloud yelled as he and Yuffie jumped in front of Kairi.

At that, the stocky Hybrid attacked Cloud, their swords clashing. The gangly one leaped at Yuffie, punching her with thick metal knuckles. With her comrades preoccupied, Kairi had no choice but to defend herself from the attacker.

At first she simply smiled wickedly at Kairi, her overconfident smirk making Kairi's lack of confidence grow. She held her Keyblade steady, waiting for the woman to attack.

"What kind of weapon is _that_?" the Hybrid asked. "Is it decorated in flowers? How sweet… endearing, almost. I may actually take it as a souvenir."

Kairi said nothing, but braced herself as two long, menacing, double-edged daggers appeared in her hands. Without another word, she dashed at Kairi, the blades moving quickly as they slashed at her.

"You've got this, Kairi!" yelled Yuffie from the other side of the room as she struggled against her opponent.

Kairi blocked her attacks with both ends of the Keyblade, using her feet to attack as the Hybrid tried to rip through her skin. She kicked high into the air, knocking the woman's head back. She stumbled, and Kairi took her moment of weakness to hit her repeatedly with the Keyblade. To Kairi's dismay, she quickly recovered and threw the knives at her. She managed to deflect one, but the other sunk deep into her shoulder. She winced in pain, grabbing the blade's handle and yanking it out of her flesh. Kairi tried to shrug the pain away; she'd had worse accidents just sparring with Riku and Sora. Thinking quickly, she launched the blade back at the Hybrid. The woman doubled over in pain, and Kairi slashed at her again with the Keyblade. She fell to the ground, putting her hand up, begging Kairi for mercy. Kairi held the Keyblade in defense, but stopped herself from attacking.

"Silly little girl," she wheezed. "That's why you should never trust a Hybrid."

Before Kairi had time to contemplate her words, the woman raised her hands to the sky. Lightning bolts shot out of them, raining down on an ill-prepared Kairi. She felt her heart jolt, electricity surging through her, ripping apart her body. Kairi's knees buckled, and she fell to the floor. The Hybrid stood and stared down at her, trying to look strong for all of her wounds.

"I'll grant you mercy soon," she cooed in the eerie voice of a crazed mother. "Just hand over that pretty weapon of yours."

Rage that she had never felt before wound into Kairi's veins. Her blood boiled at the very sight of her opponent. It took several moments for Kairi to realize what this foreign emotion was. It was beyond rage. It was hate.

With the last ounce of strength she had, Kairi stumbled onto wobbly knees, swinging the Keyblade above her head. The other woman, too weak to react, put up her arms in a vain block as Kairi smashed the Keyblade on her head. The Hybrid fell with a final, defeated scream. Her body evaporated into a thick gray smoke, leaving nothing but an intricate black keychain on the ground.


	6. Darkness

**Disclaimer: **Square Enix and Disney came up with Kingdom Hearts, not me.

* * *

CHAPTER SIX: DARKNESS

Riku felt the shock from the other side of the cave. It startled Sora, Aerith and him so much that the three bounded through at top speed, taking out several weak Hybrids as they made their way to the other entrance. Riku stopped in his tracks at the sight. Kairi stooped on the ground, badly burned and seemingly lifeless, as Cloud and Yuffie hovered over her. Leon lay in a body bind several feet away, but seemed unharmed.

"Kairi!" yelled Sora, running up to her. He stopped in his tracks, raising the Keyblade above his head. Green vines encompassed the people of the room, healing each of their injuries. Yuffie and Cloud stepped out of the way as Sora knelt down, scooping Kairi into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, holding her close. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, thanks to Curaga," she smiled.

"That's not funny. You could've died," he said seriously.

"Oh, c'mon Sora," she said, attempting to stand and brush herself off. "I'm sure you've been just as close to death before."

He frowned. "I'm going to have to get used to you putting your life on the line like the rest of us. I guess I'm being a hypocrite," he frowned.

"Just a little," Kairi laughed gently.

Riku leaned against the wall, watching his friends. He sighed, glad and at the same time jealous of their bond. When the three of them had just been friends there had been no rift before them. Now as Sora and Kairi got closer and closer, Riku seemed to drift away. He didn't blame them; he had expected and accepted it before they had ever been involved. Still, twinges of isolation occasionally struck him, especially at times like these.

He was brought away from his thoughts at Leon's insistence. "Kairi, I'm glad you're okay, but could someone help me out here? This is ridiculous."

The companions laughed at their friend's situation as Aerith and Yuffie jumped to help him out of the wiry predicament.

"So what happened?" asked Riku, crossing his arms over his chest. "Someone must've cast Thundaga; we felt it from the other side of the cave."

"Whatever that was, it was worse than Thundaga," Cloud shook his head. "We're lucky Kairi managed to take her out."

Kairi blushed. "She wasn't skilled at all, really. Nothing compared to Sora and Riku. It's just that her spells were devastating. She only used two, so they must've drained her magic pretty quickly. Otherwise we'd all probably be dead."

"Who was she?" asked Aerith.

Yuffie shrugged, unraveling a strand of the wire. "Who knows? I've never seen her around here. She seemed really… out of place, too sophisticated for the Hybrids that are in Radiant Garden."

"Then how did she know Leon's real name?" Aerith inquired.

"I don't know," Leon struggled against the ropes. "Maybe I knew her Other at some point. It's impossible to tell."

"Well, the important thing is that she's not a threat anymore. You destroyed her, right?" Riku questioned.

Kairi nodded, but looked unsure. "I… I think so. I mean, she faded out like Nobodies do, except she turned into a gray mist."

"Then she should be gone," said Leon as he untwisted the last of the wires. "But she was bizarre; I'll give you that. Almost too… refined to be a Hybrid."

Cloud shook his head. "She must have just been a high-ranking one. Added with the classic fading into gray mist, I don't see what else she _could_ be."

Yuffie clapped her hands together. "C'mon, guys! Why are we arguing about this? We have a victory here; we managed to overtake one of their strongholds! Let's see what we can find."

Riku shrugged. The fortress was relatively small, and only four members of the HRO had been present. Still, he supposed they may have had a small stock of potions, and perhaps some of their rusted weapons weren't beyond repair. He walked out of the room and back to the one he had first entered and began searching through the pile of weapons. He found a short knife with a decent blade and pocketed it.

"Find anything useful?" Kairi stood in the doorway, digging her foot into the stone floor.

"Not really," admitted Riku. "Want to help me look?"

She nodded and began digging through the box, shoving aside broken weapons. She stopped after a moment and pulled an item out of her pocket.

"Look what she left when she disappeared," Kairi put her palm in front of Riku, revealing a sleek, menacing black keychain. He raised an eyebrow. It was the antithesis of the sparkling, shiny one that she had used since Riku had first given her a Keyblade.

"It's different, huh?" she sighed.

Riku sensed a deeper problem plaguing Kairi. He shook his head and closed his eyes. He could feel it. There was definitely something different about her. He couldn't quite pinpoint it, and yet the change was something incredibly familiar, something he had not noticed was absent in her before. He closed his eyes again, trying to get a feel for what it was. He snapped open his eyes quickly, recognizing the change. He had spent enough time around it to identify it anywhere. Kairi felt of Darkness.

"Riku? What's wrong?"

He shook his head quickly, coming out of a momentary daze. "Nothing, I'm fine."

He wondered why he was so worried about his revelation. It wasn't as though Kairi had a sense of major Darkness, like the kind he felt when he was around Maleficent or Xehanort's Heartless. It was the subdued Darkness that he sensed in everyone's heart, the same as Sora's, Leon's, or Yuffie's. It was the kind that he sensed in almost everyone's heart _except _hers. It was the reason she couldn't turn into a Heartless, one of the reasons she was considered a Princess of Heart: hers was pure and completely void of the Darkness that seemed to lurk in the crevices of every other heart.

Riku theorized that purity of heart was nothing more than innocence. The innocent heart did not hate, because the corruption of such an emotion tore away at the naiveté of that heart, creating in it small punctures of Darkness. The innocent heart did not envy, nor did it feel anger, resentment, regret… It loved. Riku felt crushed by this thought. It wasn't as though the Darkness could seep out of her, or heal over time. Once it was allowed into the heart, it could never fully recover the pure, resounding light of its former glory.

"Seriously Riku, what's bothering you?" she asked, setting down a sheathed dagger.

He shrugged. He supposed he could at least hint at the subject. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kairi nodded. "Sora healed me, remember?"

"No, I mean in the other sense. You destroyed a Hybrid. That's essentially…" he trailed off, unsure of how to finish the sentence.

"Oh, that," she grumbled. "I don't know. If I hadn't done what I did, I would've ended up dead. She could've taken out some of the others too. It was my only option, and to be quite honest…"

"Yeah?"

"I… She hurt me so much, caused me so much pain and suffering… I _wanted _to end it. I _wanted_ her gone." Kairi cast her eyes to the ground, shame creeping upon her features.

Riku smiled in sympathy. "You're fighting now. It was bound to happen. It's happened to me, Sora, Cloud, Aerith… _everyone _we know here. It's basic human instinct. Survival."

She seemed to hesitate before speaking again. "It's not… what I think it is, is it? I mean, you'd probably know the best out of anyone."

Riku approached the question carefully. "What do you think it is?"

"Maybe…" she barely whispered it; her lips scarcely moved as she asked the question. "Darkness?"

"What do you want me to say, Kairi?" he shook his head slowly. "No one's heart can stay pure forever. You wanted to fight, and well, with fighting comes destruction. Destruction is often the birth of darkness. But you have to understand that if the destruction of Hybrids, Heartless and Nobodies leads to peace in the worlds, a little darkness in our hearts is worth it, as long as we don't lose sight of the light."

She smiled crookedly at him. "You've thought about this a lot, haven't you?"

"_Years _of contemplation."

"I figured as much," she giggled, but Riku detected a hint of lingering sadness in her voice. "But can you do me a favor? Just don't tell Sora yet, okay?"

"You're not going to? I'm sure he'd understand."

"I know," she shrugged. "But he'll see me differently regardless. I know in the end he won't care… I just need some time to come to terms with it."

They continued to dig through the box, neither paying much attention to their actions. The air felt heavy, as though they both realized Kairi's new burden somehow affected every one of their lives, like it intertwined and changed the path inside of each of them, molding it into an entirely different form. In his subconscious Riku realized that this change would create an entirely different existence than if Kairi had not found her own niche of Darkness.

After several minutes of silence, Sora meandered into the room, leaning against the wall of the cave. "Find anything useful?"

"Um… yeah, a couple knives and whatnot," said Kairi distractedly, standing up.

"That's great," nodded Sora. "We found some maps they made of the area. There's a hideout Leon and the others didn't even know about."

"Nice," said Riku. "When do we get to invade that one?"

"Take it easy, Riku," Sora laughed. "First we've gotta think of a way to secure this one so they don't take it over. We'll be stretched too far if we use this as a base too. The three of us and Yuffie are going to watch the cave for tonight while the others talk to Cid about how to destroy it."

"They're destroying the cave?" asked Kairi.

"Well, not entirely," explained Sora. "We just want to create enough rubble for it to block the entrances. Apparently Cid's good at blowing stuff up."

"Why am I not surprised?" said Riku dryly.

* * *

"You know what we need?" Yuffie asked, an excited tone to her voice.

"What's that?" asked Riku.

"A bonfire! It'll be like we're camping!"

Sora laughed. A bonfire actually sounded like a good idea. He and his friends certainly deserved to relax for a night, and since it encompassed the four youngest members of the resistance, he didn't see why they shouldn't go through with it.

The others had left more than an hour beforehand. Sora was pleasantly surprised to see that they entrusted them with the responsibility. Then again, they weren't fourteen anymore, and he assumed they had taken into account the fact that he had saved the worlds on more than one occasion.

"Yeah, sounds like fun," said Sora enthusiastically as he started searching for wooden scraps that seemed to be scattered all over the cave.

"Good thinking, Yuffie!" said Kairi as she stacked the pieces in the near the entrance of the cave to keep it well ventilated.

"We haven't had one of these since we were kids," said Riku, his voice nostalgic.

"Because that was _so _long ago," Sora responded sarcastically. He cast a low powered fire spell on the pile of wood and sat down to enjoy the small blaze. Kairi curled up beside him, putting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist, thankful that she was still there. He would not easily forget that he'd almost lost her today.

"So, today was something," said Yuffie as she took a seat near Riku. "I bet it's good to be out adventuring again."

"Definitely," replied Sora. "It's kind of funny… we were talking about how boring our lives were, and then the next day, well…"

"And I thought I was done with the darkness," said Riku with a cynical smirk.

"I'm sure we'll sort it out," said Kairi. "It's no big deal as long as you don't let it overtake you, right?"

Sora laughed. "That's easy for you to say… you _have _no Darkness in your heart."

He felt her tense up against him. He found this strange; why would she be so nervous about a comment he made regarding her pure heart? He decided to pass it off as paranoia, closing his eyes as he listened to the crackling fire.

Sora could feel Kairi's gentle presence beside him, her peacefulness calming him as he began to drift off. Her heart beat, nearly in rhythm with his. However, something indiscernible was keeping him from sleep. Sora couldn't help but notice that something was off. He jolted to attention. Something had changed in Kairi's heart. An epiphany struck him. Darkness.

He stood abruptly and cleared his throat. "It's kind of smoky in here. I think I'm gonna go get some air."

Sora briskly walked from where they sat - near the east entrance of the cave - to the other side and out the west. He stood for a long moment, staring at the stars. So Kairi had Darkness in her heart now. He shook his head, wondering why she had tried to conceal this from him. Didn't she know that he could sense Darkness almost as well as Riku? Was she ashamed? He would accept her regardless. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that she had kept it from him.

"Sora?" a voice sounded from the entrance.

"Oh… Hey, Riku."

Riku hesitated for a moment. "Something's bothering you."

Sora shook his head. "I don't know why she was trying to hide it from me."

Riku took a seat on a large boulder, beckoning Sora to join him. "I'm sure she was going to eventually, she was just afraid you'd never see her in the same way again."

Sora swallowed. "Well… It's kind of hard to, isn't it? I mean, don't get me wrong, I still love her just as much. I just can't see that innocent side of her anymore. It's like when you succumbed to the Darkness. In the long run it was for the better since it made our friendship stronger, but for awhile we were practically…"

"Enemies," Riku finished the sentence as Sora trailed off. "But that's behind us now. It's been that way for years. I'm sure whatever damage this has done will repair itself over time."

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys. Thanks, Riku."

"Any time," he said, putting a hand on Sora's shoulder sympathetically before going back into the cave, leaving Sora to his thoughts.

A few moments later, he heard soft footsteps approach the rock. Kairi took a seat next to him, shaking her head slowly.

"I overheard your conversation. Sora, I'm so sorry. I understand if you're angry."

"It's not that I'm angry; it's that I don't understand why you think I wouldn't accept you."

"The Darkness… terrifies me," she admitted. "More than it does you and Riku, and everyone else here. But it had always been a separate entity, never a part of me. Now that it is, I feel tainted."

"Tainted like almost every other person in existence," Sora shrugged. "It's not so bad, really."

"But what about the Princesses of Heart?" asked Kairi. "What would they think? I'm not one of them anymore."

"I guess not," Sora frowned. "But I'm sure they'd understand. You know, being pure of heart and all."

Kairi laughed for the first time. "You're right, of course."

She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you," she said, taking his hand and leading him back into the cave.

She walked nimbly though the dark until they reached the fire. Yuffie and Riku seemed to have been wrapped in deep conversation, but were broken out of it as Sora and Kairi returned.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Yuffie.

"Yeah, everything's great," Sora smiled, and for the first time since they had left, everything seemed at peace. He listened to the fire crackle as his friends made small talk. He closed his eyes, taking in the sweet, smoky scent of the cave. He lay back, falling into a light slumber, the sounds of the night putting him to sleep.

* * *

I'm not really happy with the way this chapter turned out. It feels like a choppy filler to me. Perhaps I shouldn't write whist sick... It does have important information that's really relevant to the later plot though.

Anyway, there's Chapter Six! Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	7. Loss

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: **If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be rich. I am not rich. Thus, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. That would be Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN: LOSS

Sora awoke the next morning to a quiet voice and a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, lazy bum," Kairi whispered. "Time to wake up."

"Mmph…" he mumbled, rolling over on the stony ground. "What's the rush?"

"We've got big plans today," she said as Sora peered through sleepy lids. "Everybody else is already awake. We're going to disable their use of this cave and storm their other fortress."

He slowly sat up, still groggy from his less than satisfactory sleep on the cave floor. He groaned. It had been a long time since he hadn't had the luxury of a bed. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Sora stood and stretched, observing the small room. The trickling flames of their bonfire had long since burned out, leaving ashen embers smoldering in the center, the last remnants of a peaceful night.

"So what's the game plan?" he yawned.

"You know, blow this place up, go attack their other stronghold, nothing too concrete," Kairi shrugged.

Sora smiled. "Yeah, that's Leon for ya. Usually he just goes for it rather than having an actual plan."

"Because that doesn't sound like anyone _else_ I know," she giggled.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing…" she skipped away into the next room, leaving Sora to observe the large box of dynamite that sat in the middle of the cavern.

He inspected it, taking one of the sticks out. He was in a small, confining cave with no less than twenty sticks of dynamite. Great.

"Hey, kid, don't touch that!" Cid burst into the room, taking the explosives from Sora. "The hell? You don't know what yer doin'!"

Yuffie laughed as she entered the room. "Relax, Cid. It's not like he's going to throw it into the fire."

In jest, Sora picked up another stick of dynamite and feigned whipping it into the dying hearth.

"GOD DAMMIT, SORA!"

He lobbed it to Yuffie, who pretended she couldn't catch it, letting it travel closer and closer to the fire until she grabbed it at the last moment.

"You kids'll be the death of me!"

"Oh, c'mon Cid, you know it's been kind of a drag not having them around," smiled Yuffie.

"Yeah, yeah… just keep ramblin'…" he muttered, looking over the dynamite. "I've gotta set these up in the right places to make sure they can't use this place again…"

Yuffie and Sora watched in amusement as Cid ran about the room, talking to himself about the measurements needed to cave in the entrances. Eventually he started placing the sticks, all attached to a long wick, around the cave.

"Looks good to me," he stood back, nodding at the placement. "If you want anything, get it out now!"

"We have some of their plans," said Leon as he walked into the room. "Those are the only valuable things they left."

"Let's clear out then," said Aerith, beckoning the others outside. "Are we all accounted for?"

Sora looked around. He, Kairi, Riku, Aerith, Cloud, Leon, Yuffie, and Cid all stood outside of the cave. "Looks like everyone."

"Okay," said Cid. "You all need to stand back, ya hear? Further than me… Dammit, that means you too, Yuffie! Okay, now plug yer ears if you wanna keep most of yer hearing… I'm gonna light it in five, four, three, two… one."

They watched as the sparking wick moved forward toward the cave, snaking up until it disappeared inside. Sora braced himself. A loud eruption shook the area, the cave's entrances falling in as a rocky soot lingered in the air.

"That's it?" asked Riku, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What the hell'd you expect?" asked Cid, looking insulted. "Didn't wanna blow the whole mountaintop off, did we? Idiot kid."

Riku shot him an annoyed glance, but to Sora's relief, didn't continue the argument.

Aerith chuckled. "Well then, now that that's out of the way, should we get to our next item of business?"

Leon cleared his throat and pulled out a worn map. "There's another fortress northwest of here"

"Is it in another cave?" asked Sora

"No, this one's more like a small keep," explained Cloud. "Which, of course, will make it all the more difficult to infiltrate. According to this map it only has one entrance, which we're assuming will be heavily guarded."

"I'm sure it's nothing all of us can't handle," said Sora confidently. "Are we all going?"

"Yep, Cid fixed the security system around the house, so we're all good to go!" Yuffie jumped up in excitement.

"It's about a half hour walk," Leon informed the party. "Are we ready?"

The others looked around and nodded confidently.

"Alright everyone, let's mosey," said Cloud with a slight grin on his face.

"Damn you, Cloud!" Cid grumbled.

The others laughed jovially as Sora, Riku and Kairi looked at each other in confusion. Sora felt like he had missed out on a longstanding inside joke. He shrugged as they continued their laughter, following the group down the side of the mountain.

* * *

"There it is," Aerith pointed.

Kairi peered toward the direction of her finger, seeing the stone keep nestled on the side of a cliff.

"I can't believe they're using _that _old thing," said Yuffie, crinkling her nose. "Wasn't it declared structurally unsound years ago?"

Leon snorted. "I doubt Hybrids really care. It's out of the way, no one ever noticed… It worked for them up until now."

"It's just as we thought, too," said Riku. "There are at least half a dozen guards just in front of the door alone. How are we going to approach this?"

"Attacking head on is probably the best way," said Leon.

Kairi laughed to herself. She wondering again if Sora had learned his less than sophisticated battle strategies from Leon. She followed in suit, calling her Keyblade as they others drew their weapons.

"There's nowhere to hide up here," whispered Aerith. "We're just going to have to storm it."

They hid behind a final rock barrier. Kairi peered from behind it, seeing no less than six menacing Hybrids standing in front of a single door. They were not like the strange, deformed Hybrid that they had fought their first day in Hollow Bastion: these were all human.

"Nothing to it," whispered Yuffie. She raised her shuriken over her head and dashed at their opponents.

"Yuf- ugh…" Leon rolled his eyes, sprinting after her.

Sora and Riku ran out next, Kairi taking this as her cue to attack. She smiled inwardly, glad to be fighting alongside the two people who had trained her. She clashed her Keyblade with the sword of a tattered, leather clothed Hybrid. He stared at her with black, beady eyes, mechanically going through his fighting motions. Kairi quickly noticed his lack of skill, hitting his weak points and breaking through his attempted guards.

Riku battled alongside Cloud as they took on a man wielding two small pistols. Sora took on another sword holder as Aerith cast a powerful Blizzaga spell on a fiery opponent with a flamethrower. Yuffie leaped and bounded around her adversary, attacking the Hybrid more quickly than she could follow. Leon and Cid concentrated on the final one, taking down their unmatched foe easily.

Kairi struck her enemy hard across the chest. He fell in a defeated stupor, gray mist consuming his body. She looked around as the others defeated their foes.

"Good going, everyone," said Sora confidently. "Looks like all we have to do now is… get inside."

Aerith walked up to the thick iron door that separated them from the keep's interior. "Hmm… Nothing a Keyblade can't fix. Who'd like to do the honors?"

The others looked at Sora, Riku and Kairi.

Sora shrugged. "I've opened my share of keyholes."

Riku nodded. "Me too. Kairi?"

She grinned. "Looks like I get to put this to good use."

Kairi raised the Keyblade outward and toward the door, watching as a bright beam of light radiated from its tip, shining into the keyhole. It made a slight unlatching noise as she observed the door. The door began to shake, resonating as a small circle formed at its center. The small vacuum suddenly exploded into a huge perimeter, swallowing her in its strong force.

* * *

"Kairi! No!" Sora yelled as she disappeared through the portal. Without another thought, he sprung after her, narrowly making it through as the portal closed. His body lurched forward as he felt the sensation of being transferred to another place. Sora spilled onto the ground, catching himself with his hands as he observed his location. He was surrounded by a thick gray mist that covered not only the area around him, but the ground and sky as well.

"Kairi!" he screamed, running through the obscure fog. "Kairi!" Muffled voices stirred in the distance. He ran toward them, unsure of where his feet trod.

The resonance grew louder. He could make out both Kairi's and a strong, imposing male voice that held a tone of familiarity. Sora continued to run until he could make out their speech.

"I won't let you get to Sora and Riku!" Kairi screamed, her voice pained and passionate.

A cold laugh filled the room. "As if you have a choice. I've no doubt that with you gone, the two of them will slowly give up, wither away into the Darkness."

"That just shows you don't know them at all!"

"Kai-" his voice buckled, his limbs stiffened. Sora was completely incapable of movement. The fog slowly began to lift, the outlines of Kairi and her opponent becoming clear. A strong man in a long robe threatened Kairi, brown hair spilling past his shoulders. Sora tried to move, but it was as though he had no body, no voice, as if only his passive mind existed, like he was watching the dream of another.

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked.

"You're a Hybrid!"

"Correct, but you must have noticed that I'm not any old Hybrid."

Sora struggled against his invisible restraints, sensing an imminent danger.

The man walked in a slow circle around Kairi. "We've met before. You remember the World That Never Was… I foolishly tore myself in two just trying to save Kingdom Hearts."

"Ansem!" she hissed.

"Indeed," he nodded calmly. "Well, now I've put myself back together. The body of a Nobody, the heart of a Heartless… the strength of ten Keyblade Masters. Are you prepared to fight?"

Sora struggled, but his limbs refused to respond. He tried to yell out again, his voice failing him. He had to help Kairi. If what Ansem said was true, even their combined strength was no match for his. Still, neither paid him any heed, as though they were oblivious to his presence. Sora wondered if they were. He suspected that Kairi knew nothing of his location, but he wondered if Ansem had premeditated his inability to move.

"Of course I'll fight you," she said with unwavering confidence.

"Sora and Riku really _have _taught you to be brave, haven't they?" he said. _"_Although, the fact that they taught you to fight may ironically enough be your downfall. You are their keystone, Kairi. Without you they will surely crumble."

"You're wrong!" yelled Kairi. "Even if you do end up defeating me, Sora and Riku will never give up! It'll only strengthen their resolve!"

"We'll have to test that theory, won't we?"

Ansem's Hybrid lunged forward, producing a long scythe out of thin air. As Kairi blocked with her right hand, her Keyblade appeared. She shot away several of his blows as she attacked. His movements were too fast. She could barely follow him as she moved instinctively to counter his swipes.

Sora struggled again, but to no avail. He had a strong feeling that Ansem was humoring her, putting up with the fight just to watch her struggle when he could end her life at any moment. He couldn't imagine losing Kairi. She was his heart, his motivation. He had done so much to save her, to keep her safe. Although he could almost sense the kismet that plagued Kairi, still he struggled. He fought to free his caged limbs, his silenced voice… because without her, continuing seemed futile.

"I'm growing bored of this," Ansem yawned as he easily blocked another series of attacks. "So I shall ask you: do you have anything else to say?"

"I know you can defeat me easily!" she said strongly. "But you'll never beat Sora and Riku. They're my best friends; Sora's… more. I love him. That love will never die. You may be able to kill me, but that idea will remain in his heart forever. He'll never give up."

Ansem smirked. "I've heard worse last words. But Kairi, you're wrong. This will destroy them. Five years later and you're still as foolish and naïve as the first time we met." He raised the scythe over his head, swinging it forward forcibly. Kairi held up the Keyblade as his scythe came into contact with it, shattering the heavy metal as the Keyblade fell to the ground in two pieces. The scythe plunged straight into her heart, a dull, gray glow emitting from it. Sora kicked and screamed, trying to free himself. _No. This can't be happening._

Ansem pulled out the scythe as Kairi clenched at her chest, dropping to her knees.

"You will fade soon," he said, his voice cool and uncaring. "Fading: the trite death of a Heartless or Nobody… happening to a Somebody. I somehow wish I could watch it happen. But I'll leave that up to another. Goodbye, Kairi."

He disappeared, familiar gray vines encircling him. Sora fought more, the feeling in his limbs returning as he sprinted to Kairi's side.

"Kairi…" he whispered, holding her slumping body in his arms.

"Sora," she smiled weakly.

"Everything's going to be okay," he raised his Keyblade over his head, casting Curaga on Kairi. She only slumped further.

"No… Kairi, listen to me. Stay with me." tears gathered in his eyes. He couldn't lose Kairi; she was his soul. His heart ached at the mere thought of her being but a memory in the recesses of his mind.

She drew a weak hand to his face. "Sora, listen to me. You have to keep fighting. Ansem's Hybrid… he thinks you'll give into the Darkness because of this. Promise me you won't. Promise me you'll keep fighting."

Tears fell from his eyes, streaming down his face. "Kairi, stop. You're not going to die."

"Promise me," she urged.

"I… I promise," he sobbed.

"I want you to make another promise," she smiled, her voice gentle. "Promise you'll heal. Promise you'll let me go, that you'll move on from this."

"H…how can I? You have my heart, no one else."

Her hand moved slowly down to his chest. "I won't need it as much, but someone else might. And you'll need theirs. Just remember that we'll always be connected as long as we remember what we had."

"Kairi, I can't…" he wept, hugging her gently. "How can you even say…"

"Sora, promise me," she pleaded. "I don't want you to be miserable for the rest of your life because of… because of _me_. It'll take time, but you'll heal. Days, weeks, months will pass… as they pass, you'll heal. Promise me you will, Sora."

"I… I'll promise for you, Kairi."

White streams of silky mist rose from her body. She looked at her hand, watching the ribbons almost passively. "It's happening."

"No, there has to be some way to-"

She put a fading hand to his lips. "Shh… I'd rather our last moments together be… peaceful."

"Kairi! Sora!"

The two snapped their heads to the approaching voice as a familiar face approached.

"Wh… what happened?" Riku ran toward them, kneeling down on Kairi's other side. "Don't worry, I've got potions!"

"We've tried, Riku," said Kairi, her voice weakening. "It won't do anything. I'm fading."

"Who… who did this?" he asked angrily, tears welling in his eyes. "It was Ansem's Hybrid, wasn't it? D-don't worry, Kairi; we'll get him back!"

"Don't talk like that, Riku," the streams were coming off of her more quickly now. "You and Sora, you're my best friends. I don't want the Darkness to overtake you because of a vendetta you have against Ansem. Remember that even though I'm gone, you still have each other. Pull strength from that. Remember me in your heart, but don't let it consume your every thought."

She gripped both of their hands weakly, almost entirely obscured by the white mist. "Be strong, remember the light in your hearts… and never forget that I love you."

Sora felt her hand slip away as her body was completely enveloped in the mist. He grabbed at it, trying to pull her back, but the ethereal silk consumed her, pulling her to a place neither could reach.

"Kairi! No!" he bellowed into his hands. Riku cried next to him in angry, consuming sobs. Sora clung to his friend for support as they wept on each other's shoulders. He didn't know how, or if, he would ever be able to move from that spot. He remained frozen, wallowing in grief from the death of the one he loved above all else.

* * *

Please don't hate me... That was tough to write, seeing as I actually _like _Kairi. Well, think of it this way: people speculate that Axel might not actually be dead. Maybe my version of Kairi isn't either. Or maybe she is. I'll leave it to speculation for a little while. I'm pretty well into the next chapter, so I should be updating soon.


	8. Mourning

**DISCLAIMER: **Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney, not me.

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT: MOURNING

"S-Sora, c'mon. We've got to get back," said Riku, his devastated voice rasping through the cloudy nothingness. He stood up shakily and beckoned Sora to follow his example.

"I… can't. She's… she's…" Sora whispered.

Riku extended his hand toward Sora's. He reluctantly grasped his wrist as Riku pulled him onto trembling feet.

"I don't want to leave either, it's just… I don't know how long my power's going to last. I don't even know if we can get back," said Riku quietly. "It took a lot out of me just getting here."

Sora cleared his throat. "How did you get here?"

"I can open paths again… portals. The problem is, it took a lot out of me to follow you here. I don't know what'll happen if I do it again."

He immediately objected. "Riku, no. We've already lost… what if something happens to you?"

Riku sighed. "We can't just stay in what's basically… limbo for the rest of our lives. How long have we been here? Minutes, hours, days… I can't even tell. We shouldn't be here. I feel like this world shouldn't even… exist."

"You're right," Sora said, his voice hoarse. "We can't stay here. She's not… she's not here anymore."

Riku swallowed, nervous about opening another path. Going through it the first time had had hurt him badly. However, he knew they had to return to Radiant Garden. He couldn't leave Sora wallowing in the grief of Kairi's demise. Moreover, he couldn't bear the fact that his eyes would never again peer into hers, that her smiling visage would never greet his again. He shook his head, coming back to reality.

"Okay, here goes," Riku held out his palm. He shuddered as the once familiar cold sensation rushed through his body, concentrating in his hand. Black wisps formed into a circle and created the dark path that had once been his routine way of traveling. He beckoned Sora forward before climbing through himself. The portal tugged at him, ripping apart his body as he flew through space. His muscles strained, his skin ached, froze in the dark abyss. He spilled through the other side, falling hard on his back. He gasped for breath, but his frozen lungs were unable to relieve his suffering.

"Riku!" Sora panicked, running to his side and scooping him up in his arms. "Heal!" he yelled, casting Curaga. Riku felt the warmth seep back into his body. His limbs stopped aching, his lungs filled with air again. Sora stared down at him, eyes still bloodshot from his previous grief, now veiled in a new worry.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked.

"Yeah," he made to stand, brushing himself off. "That tore me apart. I wonder why?"

"It's too dangerous to try again," said Sora, folding his arms across his chest. "You could actually…"

"I know," said Riku. "We'll just have to stay at Radiant Garden until the Darkness clears."

Riku observed his surroundings for the first time. He found himself in the middle of a jagged and erratic path surrounded by saturated purple cliffs. He sighed, grateful he had followed the correct path back to Radiant Garden.

He watched as Sora walked to the edge of the cliff, slumping as he stared out at the somber splendor of the scenery. The sun set upon snow-capped mountains, illuminating the early night as it slowly sunk behind the summits. Riku approached him slowly. He glanced over to Sora, frowning. Light tears fell down the younger man's face, the sun shining its dying rays upon it, a complete contrast to his devastated expression.

"Sora, you're going to get me started again," said Riku, feeling tears well up in his own eyes.

The two stared out at the dying evening for several minutes, watching as the last rays disappeared behind the mountains. With a heavy sigh, Sora took a seat at the edge of the cliff, dangling his legs over the ledge. Riku followed his example, kicking at the ledge absentmindedly with his foot.

"It's my fault," Sora whispered.

"Riku looked at him, dumbfounded. "What? Where the hell do you get off thinking this is _your _fault?"

"I told her to open the door," Sora looked down at his feet. "_I _should've been pulled through the portal. I should be in Kairi's position right now."

"How can you even say that?" Riku controlled his anger, but it still seeped into his tone. "How were we supposed to know that unlocking that door would open a portal? Who knew that Ansem would be powerful enough to break a Keyblade in half? That he'd have power over your movements? Sora, this is no one's fault but his."

Sora shook his head. "It's… normal to be a little irrational after something like this, right?"

Riku smiled sympathetically. "Of course."

Sora seemed to struggle with himself. "I can't even fathom this. I can't accept it. I feel like it was just… someone's sick daydream, like she's going to come running down that path to tell me to stop worrying about her. But she's not."

"No, she's not…" Riku said miserably, looking down at his swinging feet. "You and Kairi were all I ever really had. Destiny Islands were never home for us, not really. We were too busy thinking about traveling to other worlds, adventuring beyond ours. No one else seemed to understand that. With her gone, it makes me worry even more about _you_."

"I know," replied Sora, his voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, sure, Leon and the others are friends, but it doesn't even come close to the friendship the three of us had. Losing Kairi just puts… I feel like you're all I have left, like if I lose you, what's the point?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Sora," Riku replied, clapping his friend on the back.

Riku observed the smallest twitch of a smile in the corner of Sora's mouth. "You'd better not be."

The evening slowly gave into night as the last iridescence of pale blues faded behind the mountains. Still they sat in silence, both unwilling to move, to uplift themselves from their piteous mire. Riku stared out at the dark night, letting tears stream down his face. Sora lay back and looked at the stars, reaching his hand upward as though he wished he could reach out to the other worlds, as though he could somehow find Kairi if he was able leave.

"She's not coming back," Sora rasped, his voice congested from crying.

Riku lay back, his legs still dangling over the cliff. "We need to find the others. They've got to be worried by now… they have a right to know what happened."

"Yeah…" Sora shook his head to compose himself. "Let's head back to Merlin's house."

Riku stood, taking his friend's hand and pulling him to his feet. Slowly the two headed back toward the town, neither looking forward to the imminent account they knew they had to recall.

"Do you think they overtook the keep?" asked Riku.

Sora shrugged. "Who knows… They probably got attacked and had no choice. It's not like they could follow after us."

Riku nodded. "I just followed the portal's path without even thinking, without saying another word to the others. I don't think they expected that from me."

The slightest hint of a chuckle escaped Sora's lips. "They'll get used to you."

As they approached the town, Riku could feel a horrible apprehension building in the air between them. He knew that they would have to retell their account, and neither wished to mention, much less recount, the horrible events they had witnessed. He felt especially bad for Sora. He had seen the worst of it, watched Kairi fight, fall… and was unable to even fight back. They had both watched her fade away. They had tried to hold onto her, to keep her from slipping away, but their efforts had been in vain.

With a heavy sigh, Sora put his hand on the door to Merlin's house. He twisted the knob and slowly creaked it open to see a set of eyes dart up at their approach.

"You're back! Thank God!" Yuffie jumped up from her seat at the fireplace, pulling Riku and Sora into a tight embrace. "Don't ever scare me like that again!"

"Kairi really needs to - wait, guys… Where's Kairi?"

Riku had never seen such a devastated look on a person's face as when he glanced upon Sora's, illuminated in the dull firelight, his eyes cast downward in sorrow and regret. Tears gathered in his eyes again. Words needed not be spoken; Yuffie immediately understood by his shocked expression.

"Oh no…" she whispered. "Sora, Riku…"

She pulled them into a tight embrace, and the three stood there, none wishing to move from the spot. Riku let himself go, one arm wrapped around Sora, the other draped over Yuffie. He blinked the tears out of his eyes, looking down at Yuffie. Water streamed from hers as well, coming so heavily that they gathered on her shirt. Sora had stopped crying, but looked beyond tears, his somber expression heightened by the shadows of a dying fire.

"C…c'mon," sniffed Yuffie, beckoning them to sit by the fire. "The others are at the keep tonight… we won, so I'm watching the house. We'll have to tell them tomorrow."

Riku slumped into the couch as Sora took a seat on a wooden chair, leaning his elbows on his knees and putting his chin in his hands. He stared distantly into the burning embers. "I can't believe it…"

The three sat in silence, Riku and Yuffie waiting patiently for Sora to recount his tale.

He took in a deep breath, speaking in almost a monotone. "So, you saw me jump through the portal. I didn't land by Kairi; I had to find her. The world we were in was like… nothing. Like mist and white and gray… I can't even describe it. I ran through the mist and found her arguing with Ansem's Hybrid. As soon as I came close, I couldn't… move. I couldn't speak. There was no way for me to help her. I just had to watch as he… he…" Sora's voice began to shake, losing its strength. "He had a scythe… It pierced her heart and she…"

"…faded away." Riku finished.

The three sat in silence for several minutes before Yuffie spoke. "I'm so sorry… I know how horrible it feels… losing someone you love and care about."

"What happened to you?" Sora asked quietly.

She seemed to struggle with herself. "Leon would hate me for telling you this part of our history, but… you deserve to know the facts." She tapped her foot on the ground. "Oh, what the hell. He'll yell at me later but…"

Biting her lip, Yuffie continued. "See, our world used to be much bigger than it is now. Well over twice this size. About a year before you met us in Traverse Town, our world was overrun by Heartless. You've heard the theory that all the worlds were once a whole, singular world, right?"

Sora and Riku nodded.

"Well, our world split up like that, but it only split into two. But instead of the two halves existing alone, only the Radiant Garden part survived."

"What happened to the other part?" asked Riku.

Yuffie shook her head, looking down at the ground. "We don't know for sure. Cid's good with Gummi ships and whatnot, so we searched and searched for it, but it was no use. We looked around all the different worlds, nothing. Eventually we landed in Traverse Town and stayed there… We lost a lot of friends when our world split in two."

"I'm sorry, Yuffie," said Sora, a look of empathy on his face.

"It's not your fault," she shrugged. "I was just trying to… relate."

"What was your world called?" asked Riku.

Yuffie smiled sadly, her thoughts disappearing to a place that neither Sora nor Riku understood.

"Gaia."

* * *

Sora dreaded the walk back to the keep. His feet took heavy steps as they approached the cliffside building, wishing he did not have to tell his story again. Yuffie knocked on the door with a heavy hand. After a few moments it creaked open, revealing an anxious Leon.

"Sora, Riku, it's good to see you back," he said with relief. After a moment he looked confused, as though he were trying to choose his words carefully. "Is Kairi watching the house?"

Sora cast his eyes to the ground. _How many people am I going to have to relay this to? Like it's not bad enough that it constantly runs through my head. _

He was glad when Yuffie spoke for him. "Kairi didn't come back with them, Leon."

She pulled him aside, whispering things that Sora had to strain to make out.

"_It's been really hard on them," _she said quietly. _"I don't want to make Sora have to say it more than once; would you mind getting the others?"_

Leon looked at her, nodding as he ran out of the room. Sora took in his surroundings for the first time. He was in what seemed like a stone vestibule, a small hall that lead to the rest of the keep.

"Come on in," Yuffie waved them forward.

Sora observed a small kitchen area that could have easily been mistaken for a weapons arsenal. Atop a table we stacked a number of menacing guns. On the stove sat a giant pot of throwing stars. Disorderly sheathed swords lay scattered haphazardly around the entire room.

"Yeah, this was a better bust than the cave," said Yuffie, examining the room. "Not stocked well in the food department though… Hmm…"

She walked over to the stove and picked up the pot. "Shuriken soup, anyone?" she asked, offering it to Riku and Sora.

They chuckled in response. "Finally, the semblance of a laugh," she smiled slightly.

Their rare moment of lightheartedness was interrupted as Leon led Aerith, Cloud and Cid into the room. They all wore somber expressions, making Sora assume that Leon had given them an inkling of the news.

"I'm glad to see the two of you are okay, but what happened to Kairi?" Aerith asked, still ignorant to the portal occurrence. "You weren't able to find her?"

"We… we found her," Sora swallowed the lump in his throat. Crying in front of Yuffie was one thing, but Leon, Cloud and Cid? He'd try his best not to. He resorted to a robotic, monotone voice, attempting not to pay attention to his words as he spilled out his story once again.

* * *

"…and then Riku opened another path and we came back here." Sora said with finality, his voice trembling.

Aerith looked over to Sora and Riku. "I can't express how sorry I am for both of you. I know how close the three of you were."

"I always liked the girl," said Cid sadly, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Seemed really strong, like she'd do anything for her friends."

"Yeah, she would," said Riku. "She lost her life for us."

"Never forget her," said Cloud, sulking off to the side.

Leon looked at Sora, his face more pained than he had ever seen on the older man's. He shook his head before turning in the other direction and walking into the next room.

"Leon?" Sora asked. "What's _his _problem?"

Yuffie put a hand over her mouth, looking over at Aerith, who pursed her lips into a thin line.

"It's the same situation," Yuffie whispered as if only Aerith could hear.

"What's the same situation?" asked Sora.

Aerith shook her head, but at the reluctance of the group, Sora decided not to press the matter. He shrugged, feeling like he needed to be separated from the others. He needed time alone to absorb the happenings of the previous day. He walked outside and closed the door behind him.

"_That damn door," _he thought, looking back at it as he left the fortress. It should have been him in that position, not Kairi. However, he recognized that there was no undoing the past. Kairi had fallen victim to Ansem's Hybrid… not him. He was left behind to deal with the aftermath, to stop Ansem in his quest to turn innocent people into Heartless, Nobodies and Hybrids. He clenched his fist in anger, feeling the Keyblade materialize in his hand. He _had _to keep fighting, for her, for Riku, for his friends at Radiant Garden, for his island, for Donald, Goofy and the King… however far away they were. He meandered down another stony path, absentmindedly fighting off a few weak Shadows on his way. He wondered why there were so few plants on Radiant Garden; it seemed as though very little grew. Maybe the rest of Gaia balanced it out… he shrugged, making a mental note to ask Yuffie about it.

He wondered if Kairi-

"Damn it!" he swore loudly, slamming his fist into the rocky cliff beside which he walked. He had managed to go a grand total of about ten seconds without thinking about her. How long was this going to continue? It was torturous, heart wrenching… He remembered her words as she lay dying in his arms.

"_I don't want you to be miserable for the rest of your life because of… because of me. It'll take time, but you'll heal. Days, weeks, months will pass… as they pass, you'll heal. Promise me you will, Sora."_

"I can't let you go yet, Kairi," he said, staring up at the sky, tears falling from his eyes. "But time will pass, and I'll try. I promise I'll try."

* * *

Okay, so that was pretty emo, I know, and Kingdom Hearts doesn't generally have that heavy feel to it. However, I thought it was necessary considering what Sora and Riku just went through. I can't imagine jumping up and being okay after losing my best friend or significant other. Oh, and I realize the whole Gaia-being-split thing is a little AU, but Final Fantasy is AU in Kingdom Hearts anyway, so hopefully it's okay.

Anyway, Chapter 8: Fin. Feedback is appreciated!


	9. Plight

**DISCLAIMER: **Kingdom Hearts? That'd be Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

CHAPTER NINE: PLIGHT

_She felt nothing. She heard nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing... saw nothing. Had it not been for her own mind, she would have _been _nothing. She was not floating through space, no; it was, purely and simply: nothingness. She could not describe it because, upon describing it, nothingness became something. She had only her consciousness to keep her holding on in this place: a space between spaces. Memories flashed through her mind: islands, Keyblades, Heartless, princesses, witches, Darkness… but there were two faces that stood out among the rest. Two young men, the two people she cared about above all others. If she had possessed hands, she would have smacked herself in the head. They were gone. They existed in space; she existed in nothingness. Did that make her nothing as well? How long had she been here, in this place where time did not exist? How much time had passed in the worlds? Five minutes, five years, it was all the same: a string of thoughts meshed together into an inconsistent jumble of ideas. Was this… death? Was it really this boring? She had felt no pain from the stab to her heart; she had only grown hazy, faded away._

"_Kairi, hold on," a strong, almost childish voice soothed her Aha. She was dead _and _crazy. "I'll get us out of this; don't worry."_

_The voice promised, and yet Kairi saw no end in sight: only an eternal nothingness that stretched on ceaselessly into the future._

-- -- -- --

FOUR MONTHS LATER

-- -- -- --

He felt a soft hand nudge his shoulder. In an air of discontent, he pulled the covers closer around himself.

"Sora?"

"Mmf…"

"Sora, get up!"

He rolled over, as though such an act would completely dissuade his annoyer.

"No luck, Riku?" _Great. Yuffie. _"Hmm. Aerith said she couldn't get him up either. Guess it's time to bring in the big guns."

Sora opened his eyes. "No guys; I'm awake, seriously."

Riku cocked an eyebrow at him, smiling mischievously. "I knew a Yuffie threat would get you moving."

Sora scowled in jest. "Now that's just cruel."

"Just hurry up!" said Yuffie as she and Riku exited the room.

Four months had passed since Kairi had disappeared from their lives, and though it still pained Sora significantly to think about it, he finally felt as though his life was getting back to normal. With the help of his friends, he was learning to let go, to realize that holding on only hindered him. He recalled a rare conversation he had with Leon about a month after the incident.

"Sora, you need to stop sulking. I know it's tough, but you'll end up old, bitter and regretful if you keep going at this rate."

He shrugged coldly. "How would _you _know?"

Leon struggled with his words; Sora could tell he was uncomfortable opening up on the subject. "The same thing happened to me… when our world was torn in two. I never got over it. Don't let that happen to you."

Sora sat silently for a moment, contemplating his words. "What was her name?"

"Rinoa."

Aerith helped him recover the most actively out of the group, making him tea every morning, baking cookies at least twice a week. Sometimes he felt like he was half his age, and that Aerith was a mother trying to get him through a particularly difficult time in school. Still it helped, no matter how childish it made him feel.

Cid kept him busy, schooling him in mechanics he neither understood nor cared to understand. It was helpful, he had to admit, as Cid taught him how to repair their battered ship. However, he couldn't justify fixing it if there was no way to leave Radiant Garden without first clearing the of Hybrids that constantly popped up in numbers that astounded the resistance.

Yuffie was upset for several weeks after hearing about Kairi. The two had bonded over the short periods of time that they had seen each other. However, once she bounced back and began to act more like herself, Yuffie kept Sora's mind distracted by playing constant, albeit annoying, pranks on him. He learned to always be on his guard, because he never knew the next time he would be missing something of vital importance. They didn't call her a klepto for nothing.

Cloud kept him fighting, and although the two were at similar skill levels, he knew it helped keep them ready for the hoards of enemies that periodically attacked. Sora reveled in the fact that he often won, arrogantly boasting to the others about his superior skills… that is until Cloud took it up a notch and sent him flying into the side of Merlin's house. Sometimes he thought his head _still _hurt from the impact.

As much as the others helped him get over Kairi's death, Riku gave him the greatest sense of comfort. Sora knew he understood better than the others, that Riku cared about Kairi just as much as he did. They talked about it every night for weeks after her death. Sora knew Riku worried about him… didn't want him to end up as miserable as Leon, so unable to let go of the past that he changed his name. He recalled a conversation they had held a couple months after losing Kairi:

Sora stared out the window of his bedroom in the keep, looking out at the misted night. He heard footsteps approach his room as a knock came to his door.

"It's open."

Riku peeped his head through the door, walking in and taking a seat at the edge of Sora's bed.

"You've seemed a lot better lately," he observed.

Sora turned away from the window, leaning against it as he faced Riku. "You know… I _feel _a lot better. It's like… a little more relief with every day." He slumped over to the bed, taking a seat next to Riku.

"That's good to hear," Riku smiled, his sapphire eyes bearing into the deep blue of Sora's.

Sora looked away, toying with the zipper on his hooded sweatshirt. "What about you? How are you taking it?"

Riku shrugged, letting his back slump against the wall. He pulled his feet up, curling his toes over the edge of the bed. "I'm working past it, thanks to you."

Sora tilted his head. "Huh? What'd I do?"

Riku seemed to struggle with his word choice. "You know, it's like you said awhile ago. With Kairi gone, it's just you and me. We have to look out for each other. I… ugh… this is going to sound horrible…"

"Go ahead," Sora urged. "I won't be mad."

"I feel like we drifted when the two of you were together, like our friendship creviced."

"You… did?" asked Sora, baffled at Riku's revelation.

He sighed, hair falling across his eyes as he looked down. "Yeah. I mean, we were so close when we came back to the island, after the conversation we had on that beach in the darkness… Everything was the same for awhile, but then you and Kairi got together… It's such a selfish thing to say."

"Riku, I never realized," said Sora, feeling regretful for letting his best friend drift from his life. He reluctantly shifted his hand, placing it on Riku's forearm. "I'm so sorry."

Riku tensed up slightly at his touch, but didn't move his arm away. "I mean, don't get me wrong; I'd give anything to have Kairi back here with us. I don't want you to think-"

Sora shook his head, his spiky hair waving slightly. "Riku, I know what you meant. I should've paid more attention to our friendship. I'm sorry we drifted, I really am."

"At least we didn't drift too far," Riku smiled sadly, glancing out the window. "It's not like I went into the Darkness again or anything."

"Oh, c'mon…" Sora waved his hand, disdainful. "You'd never go back to the Darkness."

Riku looked down at his hands. "Maybe not voluntarily…"

Sora frowned. "You're still worried about Dark Aura, aren't you?"

"Dark Aura, Dark Shield, the fact that I can open portals again… everything."

"Well, maybe it's just because of the influx of Hybrids, like Leon said before," Sora rationalized. "And it's not like you don't have control over it. You were still able to use it in The World That Never Was, but you never left my side, never tried to help Xemnas. Why should this be any different?"

Riku relaxed visibly. "Yeah, you're right. Thinking I would abandon Light based on abilities I have no control over is just stupid."

Sora smiled. "I remember you saying once that I don't choose the brightest friends…"

"I _knew _that would come to bite me in the ass one day," he stood from the bed, making to leave. "So, you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Sora nodded, smiling in reassurance.

"No need to call Aerith in with her tea?" he joked.

Sora snickered. "Nah, I think I'll live."

"Okay then," Riku said, stopping briefly at the door. "'Night."

"'Night," he yawned. "Hey Riku?"

"Yeah?" he asked, pausing and turning back around.

"Thanks for everything."

He chuckled. "What did I do? That was all you."

More than two months had passed since that conversation had taken place, and still Riku often made an effort to make sure Sora was recovering. He had noticed recently that his efforts had become more sporadic, occurring less often than they had in previous weeks. He suspected that Riku had noticed the obvious improvement in his mood, and was trying to help him overcome it. Sora wondered, almost fearfully, if it was _because _of Riku that he was improving. His warm smiles, his joking jabs at Sora, his need to make sure that Sora well…

No, he couldn't let those suspected feelings come back. He had denied them years ago, and he would continue to deny them. Riku and Kairi had always existed synonymously in Sora's life so that Sora could - at least somewhat easily - ignore anything he felt for Riku and direct it toward Kairi, who he also had feelings for. He thought even Kairi had suspected something, judging by the way the two sometimes acted around each other.

"_Wait a minute… the way we _both _act?" _he rolled over in bed. _"No, I'm imagining things_."

"Sora, what the hell - you _still _haven't gotten up yet?" he heard Riku's steps approach his room again. "You're usually a bright ball of freaking sunshine; what's gotten into you?"

Sora sat up and stretched. "I'm up, really; I was just thinking."

"A rare occurrence."

He grabbed his pillow, whipping it at Riku's head. Riku simply blocked it, laughed, and left the room.

Slowly Sora rose from bed. He walked to the bathroom, took a shower, and dressed for the day. He meandered downstairs to see Riku, Leon, and Yuffie immersed in conversation.

"Hey guys, what'd I miss?"

"Leon has a theory on where the Hybrids are coming from," said Yuffie.

Sora pulled up a chair at the table, listening intently.

"I think it has something to do with the portal that's activated when you unlock the door with a Keyblade," he explained. "It might function as the opposite of a keyhole."

"What do you mean?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"Well, when you seal a keyhole, you seal the Darkness from that world," Leon continued. "When you open one of these, instead of the Darkness being sealed, you're sucked into a world that is neither nothing nor something: a Hybrid world."

"Empty space," said Sora in comprehension.

"More or less," Leon shrugged. "I'm not really sure, having never been there. Did you notice anything besides the mist and the blankness?"

"No, just Ansem's Hybrid and Kairi. What would we be looking for, anyway? A keyhole? Because there was nothing there," Sora scratched his head. "Just disorienting pseudo-nothingness."

Riku slammed his hand on the table as though he had been struck with a brilliant idea. "Wait a minute… If there were multiple keyholes here, maybe there are multiple portals too? And maybe one of _those _leads to… whatever we're looking for."

"That's not a bad theory," Leon contemplated.

Sora smiled. "Looks like we've got a better mission today than Operation Kick Some Hybrid Ass. If we can find it, maybe we can clear the smog so we can get to other worlds."

Yuffie frowned, her eyes fiery with jealousy. "Why do _they _get to travel to different worlds while we're stuck on this one?"

Leon shrugged. "Because they have Keyblades and a vessel."

She crossed her arms over her stomach. "Hmph. We haven't been anywhere since we left Traverse Town. That was over _five _years ago!"

"You're not going to try to stow away when we leave, are you?" asked Riku, a slight smirk on his face.

"Huh? What gave you that idea?" she asked with a look of untarnished innocence that effectively fooled no one.

An exasperated Leon rolled his eyes. "_No one _can leave until we solve this smog problem. We have to find the keyhole, go to the Hybrid world, and lock it so they can't keep transporting here… that is, assuming our theory is correct."

"Sounds good to me, Leon," said Sora, rising from his chair. He looked at Riku. "Ready to go?"

Riku nodded, standing. "Any suggestions?"

Yuffie contemplated. "The keyholes probably aren't in town; that'd be too accessible. I wonder where they would've planted them… In the mountains? The trails?"

Riku shrugged. "We'll scout around, see what we can find."

"Okay, have fun! Try not to get into _too _much trouble!" she laughed.

"Never!" answered Sora, bolting out the door with Riku close behind.

* * *

Sora shifted a small pile of rocks out of his way, examining the cliff for crevices.

"You know, I doubt one of the keyholes is hidden under rubble in the middle of nowhere…" Riku mused, leaning against it as he watched Sora examine the rock.

"Do you have any better ideas?" asked Sora. "We've been looking for hours. Usually I run around, fight a bunch of Heartless and Nobodies, and end up locating a keyhole within a couple hours."

"I have to admit, I didn't think it would take this long," Riku grumbled.

"It never _does_," explained Sora. "It may have to do with the fact that we're dealing with the real Ansem this time. Well, his Hybrid, so he probably has a similar personality and intelligence level. Anyway, you knew him better than any of us, I mean-"

"Sora, quiet!" Riku's voice sounded apprehensive. "Do you hear that?"

Sora listened down the cliff's path. He cocked his head slightly at the approaching noise. It sounded like the wails of people being slaughtered, their voices ringing out moments before being eternally silenced.

He jumped to his feet and called Ultima as Way to Dawn appeared in Riku's hand. They sprinted down the path, charging toward the cacophonic screams.

"Just up here!" yelled Riku as they turned the corner of the fissured canyon, facing three Hybrid beasts. Sora was baffled by their size. They towered over the Keyblade masters, at least twice their height. Their grotesque, scaly bodies were supported on legs that seemed too small and weak to hold their weight, but they stood looming over the two nonetheless. They uttered the most horrific, earsplitting sound Sora had ever heard: a shrill, crackling bellow that resonated through the canyon. Keyblade gripped in his right hand, he took one look toward Riku, nodded, and attacked.

He jumped onto the closest beast's back, striking it in the head repeatedly. It reared up from the pain as Sora gripped its thick scales to keep his balance. He swiped at it again, its anger building. Sora braced himself, but the Hybrid threw him from its back, rolling him onto the ground below. He tried to block the blow with his Keyblade, but the Hybrid's small leg pierced into him, sending a searing pain into his stomach.

"Heal!" Sora yelled, casting Curaga. He stood back up and faced the Hybrid, hitting it face on. The scaly beast fell to the ground, disappearing in a cloud of gray smoke. He stopped for a moment as Riku defeated his enemy. Sora jumped at the third, swinging his Keyblade as a voice interrupted him.

"Call him back, call him back… I'm not wasting another perfectly good Hybrid just because _they _can defeat it."

Sora and Riku whipped their heads toward the voice. Upon the top of the cliff stood a tall man in a black trench coat, its hood drawn so that his face was obscured in shadows. He wielded a scythe not dissimilar to that of Ansem's Hybrid.

"Really? You copied Organization XIII? How original," Riku taunted.

"More original than your miniscule mind can comprehend," the hooded man retorted. "Oh well, this may fulfill some nostalgic revenge…"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"Riku, we need to get out of here," Sora whispered, his voice shaking.

"We can take him," Riku growled, his grip on the Keyblade tightening.

Sora panicked. His heart raced, his limbs shook. "That's Ansem's weapon, the one Kairi - listen, that thing can smash Keyblades. If it touches you once-"

"Quarreling among yourselves… that can't be good for morale," he laughed coldly. "But I suppose it's all the better for me."

The cloaked man jumped from the high cliff, bracing himself and landing gracefully on his feet, balancing the scythe cross his chest. "What's wrong, Sora?" he taunted as Sora and Riku backed away. "Are you afraid I'm going to do to him what Ansem did to your precious damsel?"

"Run," Sora said under his breath as the hooded man approached them.

"Sora, if we-"

"We won't survive. RUN!"

He tore away in the opposite direction, Riku following closely.

"Now _that's _something I thought I'd never see from two Keyblade masters," the man shouted as he chased after them. "Running away from a foe. I may have thought you were stupid, but never _cowardly_!"

"Don't listen to him," Sora said to Riku as he ran beside him. "We can't even get hit once; we won't stand a chance if we stay and fight."

Sora led them through the jagged canyon, cutting along ledges and sprinting through paths to dissuade their attacker. Out of sight of the cloaked man, he jetted into a crammed crevice that barely hid himself from the outside world. He grabbed Riku's wrist and pulled him into the small cavern.

He braced himself against the wall, Riku standing parallel to him. Sora looked at Riku, light eyes baring into piercing blue. A slight smile tinged Riku's lips in the dimly lit fissure. Sora felt his heart leap at the sight. He could feel Riku's breath flush down his visage, spread to his neck…

"That was close," whispered Riku. Sora closed his eyes as Riku's words brushed like soft kisses upon his face, their lips mere inches apart. It was almost…

He snapped his eyes open. No. No, no, no, no, no. He cleared his throat.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Sora whispered as Riku's hair billowed slightly from his own breath. "But I think that's the first time we ever ran away."

"Like you said, we didn't really have a choice," as Riku spoke, Sora found it difficult to concentrate on his words, but rather paid attention to his voice, its round baritone echoing through the small chamber. "You know, I'd probably be dead if it weren't for you."

"Ah, c'mon, Riku," Sora smiled, absentmindedly stroking Riku's palm with his thumb.

His heart jumped again. He was still holding his hand? He dropped it quickly, lowering his own to his side. Riku raise an eyebrow but dismissed what Sora knew he saw as odd behavior.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks," Riku said, his warm breath lingering on Sora's lips.

"_Okay, cool it," _thought Sora. _"Riku's completely at ease and there's no reason you shouldn't be."_

Sora forced himself to relax, slumping slightly against the cave wall. He smiled in a false confidence that he hoped he conveyed effectively. "Well, someone had to save you from your own stupidity."

"My stupidity?" his voice held a false air of insult.

He shuffled his foot, gently nudging Riku's in the process. Sora shook his head, looking downward to stare at the ground. "I don't know… just… the thought of losing you too? I don't think I could deal with that."

"Hey, Sora, look at me," the breathy words washed over his face again. He slowly raised his gaze, eyes lingering for a moment on a muscled bicep.

Riku shook his head, his bangs falling over his eyes. He put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

After being convinced that their opponent was far enough away, Sora and Riku hurried back to the keep, where they found Leon and Aerith pouring over a giant map of the area.

"You're back!" Aerith smiled. "Did you have any luck finding the keyholes?"

"No," Riku sighed. "But we've got some bad news."

The two looked at them expectedly.

"Someone in Radiant Garden has a scythe like the one Ansem's Hybrid had," Sora warned. "They were wearing a black trench coat like they were in the Organization or something… They even insinuated that they _were _part of the Organization."

"Hmm…" Aerith put a hand to her chin, pensive. "Well, it is possible that you were dealing with one of them."

"What?" a baffled Sora and Riku said in unison.

"If a person's Heartless dies before their Nobody, they will be restored as whole once you defeat the Nobody," Leon explained. "I thought we went over this before."

"Don't you think that's something we would've remembered?" Sora asked in an annoyed tone that did not suit him. "Who the hell are we dealing with? Not Xehanort…"

Aerith frowned. "It's a definite possibility."

"But Ansem and Xehanort hate each other!" Riku exclaimed. "Why would they work together?"

Leon shrugged. "I've heard of stranger alliances."

Sora went to bed that night in a sour mood, his mind contemplating the chaos in their situation. Ansem's Hybrid was likely the ally of a now whole Xehanort. They had a weapon, if not multiple weapons, that could kill its victims with a single swipe or stab. How could he even combat something like that? If he and Riku had been slightly slower… Sora rolled over on his back. He couldn't fathom losing his best friend, his link to sanity those past months. His heart ached at the thought of Riku meeting Kairi's fate. He sighed, knowing he was fooling himself if he thought those feelings were only those of a strong friendship. He had effectively masked them when he was with Kairi, so much that he had managed to convince himself that they never really existed at all. But they had, and in Kairi's absence they resurfaced. _"Sora, what's wrong with you?" _he thought. _"Riku's a guy. He's not like Kairi… not anything like Kairi. You're using him as a substitute." _

He knew his rationalization was entirely false, that Riku was in no way a substitute. If that had been the case there was no way his feelings would have rivaled what he felt for Kairi. _"It's not _that _strong. It can't be… It's not like I-" _he wouldn't let himself think the word. To be sure, Riku was nothing like Kairi. She was sweet, well mannered, soft… Riku was sarcastic, slightly rude, muscular… _"Those muscles…"_ Sora thought, envisioning his sleeveless biceps, his hard, sinewy chest in the morning when he was searching for a shirt… He snapped open his eyes. _"Guy, Sora. Guy."_

Besides, how would Kairi feel if she knew? _"Heartbroken beyond recovery." _But she had told him that time would go by, months would pass, that she _wanted _him to move on.

He remembered what she had said about their hearts. _"I won't need it as much, but someone else might. And you'll need theirs. Just remember that we'll always be connected as long as we remember what we had."_

Sora rolled onto his side and let his eyes close. Maybe he had slowly been letting go, his fingers unlocking, hands slipping away. But how could he possibly forget Kairi? He had said that she alone had his heart, his soul. How could he possibly give them to another? Who was to say they would be accepted in the first place?

Sora yawned, his exhaustion a welcome feeling. He relaxed, slowly drifting off to sleep with the thoughts that had slowly consumed his mind, plaguing his conscious like a slowly rising current.


	10. Confession

**DISCLAIMER: **I believe I _may _have said before that Square Enix and Disney own Kingdom Hearts. Oh well, can't hurt to reiterate it.

* * *

CHAPTER TEN: CONFESSION

"Look! She's moving!"

She could hear voices as though they were far away, whispering words as if they were separated by a long tunnel. But she heard them nonetheless. She could _hear_. She shifted under what felt like a blanket, grabbing at a cotton sheet. She had hands, a sense of touch. Groggily she opened her eyes, a blurry, shapeless world slowly coming into focus.

"How are you feeling?" a blonde woman, bangs framing her face, hovered over Kairi. She shifted her framed glasses, observing the girl.

Kairi tried to sit, but found her limbs were too weak from her sleep. "Where am I?" her voice rasped from going so long without speaking.

The woman smiled. "You're in Balamb. Welcome, my name's Quistis."

"I'm Kairi," she smiled weakly. "Thanks for taking me in."

"She's awake!" Kairi turned her attention to another woman who appeared in the doorway. Straight brown hair fell upon her shoulders as she drifted over to Kairi's bedside, standing next to Quistis.

"Nice to meet you, Kairi. My name's Rinoa."

Kairi smiled in greeting. "How did I get here?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

Quistis shrugged. "I don't know. We heard a knock at our door. When we opened it, there you were, laying on our stoop. You must have walked a long way and were so delirious that you don't remember. Where in Gaia are you from?"

"No…" Kairi shook her head. "No, I'm not from… what'd you say? Gaia? Ansem did this to me. He turned me into nothing, or at least surrounded me in nothingness. I'm not from this world. I don't _know _how I got here."

"Where are you from?" asked Rinoa.

"Destiny Islands," Kairi rubbed her forehead with a weak palm.

Rinoa and Qusitis shrugged to each other.

"Never heard of it," said Quistis. "Is that where you disappeared from?"

"No, I was on a different world at the time… well, I guess it's technically my home world, but I don't remember anything about it. My friends and I were helping our friends defeat the Hybrids on their world."

"So they've spread past this one," Rinoa nodded. "I'm not in the least bit surprised. Where were you? Camelot? Narnia?"

"I've never even heard of those worlds," Kairi shook her head. "No… Radiant Garden. Hollow Bastion, some call it." The two women looked at each other confusedly.

"That's impossible," said Rinoa, her voice skeptical. "Radiant Garden was destroyed when our world was split in two. All the people there… died."

"Huh?" Kairi narrowed her gaze. "The people there are alive and well. I never heard anything about your world being split in two though."

"It was because of the Darkness," said Quistis, waving the thought away. "Never mind that… If you really _were _in Radiant Garden, then what's it look like?"

"The land is a depressing, muted purple, and it's really mountainous. The town looks medieval, run down… I think that's from the Heartless though."

Kairi could not have imagined the two women's reactions to her recount. Rinoa fell to her knees, weeping, murmuring to herself in worlds Kairi couldn't hear. Quistis clasped her hands together and walked over to the window, repeating: "Oh, thank God, thank God…"

"I can't believe it," said Rinoa, a tear falling from her eye. "There's a chance they're _alive_."

"Did you know anyone there? Anyone at all?" Quistis asked eagerly. "I doubt it's anyone we would know, but still…"

"Oh, sure, several people in the resistance," responded Kairi. "Cloud, Yuffie, Cid…" Their faces lit up. "Aerith, Leon… I think his real name's Squall-"

"_Squall?" _they exclaimed.

"Squall… Squall's alive…" Rinoa whispered, putting a hand to her heart as tears streamed from her eyes. "I can't believe it."

"They're all okay? You're sure?" asked Quistis, her voice quiet.

"Alive and well," Kairi nodded. "They're a resistance group that fights Hybrid uprisings. My friends and I were helping them."

"Still… I find it hard to believe that Squall and the others _never _mentioned us," said Rinoa crossly.

Quistis shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing personal, Rinoa. You know how Squall used to be: 'tell it to a wall', 'everyone has to take care of themselves'. I'm sure he's giving the illusion of having got over what I'm sure he thinks are our… deaths. Deep down he's dwelling on it."

Rinoa gulped. "Does he have a - a girlfriend, or a wife or anything?"

"Nah, he's too cynical," Kairi shook her head. "Le- I mean Squall, is really reserved."

Rinoa looked relieved. "What about you, Kairi? Do you have anyone waiting for you at Radiant Garden?"

"I hope so," she sighed dreamily. "His name's Sora… But you see, I thought I was dying. I told him to let go, to find someone else. Who knows how long it'll be before I can see him again? If I'll _ever _see him again?"

She closed her eyes, trying not to think of the implications of her last sentence. Never seeing Sora again? She didn't think she could bear it.

Quistis smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Kairi. Now that we know they're alive - thanks to you - we might be able to get to them."

"But… but the worlds are veiled in Darkness. We can't take a vessel."

"There are other, more dangerous, ways," said Rinoa. "I'd be willing to chance it."

"As would I if it means seeing Squall and the others again," said Quistis. "But we don't even know where Radiant Garden is. We're on the outer fringes of the worlds, which explains why they never found us, and why we were never able to find them. But how was Kairi transferred from Radiant Garden to Balamb when _we _couldn't manage it?"

"Namine…" Kairi whispered.

"What was that?" Rinoa raised an eyebrow.

"Namine, she's my Nobody," Kairi explained. "We haven't been separated in over five years, but I can still tell she's there… especially when I'm with Sora. When I was floating through nothingness, I heard her voice. She told me to hold on. Since she's a Nobody, I bet she was able to navigate her way through and get me here.

Quistis looked at her quizzically. "Wait a minute… If you have a Nobody, that means you were once a Heartless."

Kairi shook her head. "Surprisingly, no. I used to be a Princess of Heart. Since I had no darkness in my heart, it was just harbored in the heart of my friend. If something happened again, then yeah, I would turn into a Heartless." She shivered at the thought. "Still, I don't think even that would be as bad as what I went through before I ended up here."

"What happened, exactly?" asked Rinoa.

"Well, I tried to open a door with my Keyblade and it sucked me into a portal instead. I was in a world surrounded by this weird white mist. Then Ansem's Hybrid came with this… scythe, I guess… It broke my Keyblade and stabbed me in the heart. Then I faded away. I was nowhere. I was nothing but a mind."

Quistis looked at Rinoa, their faces paling. "Heart Reaper," Rinoa whispered, the words barely audible. "It's the most powerful weapon we know of. It holds an evil that a Keyblade never could. They're twin weapons, actually. There used to be more, but they were destroyed because, well, no one deserves that kind of fate."

"It's amazing that you got out of that realm," agreed Quistis. "It has to be because of your Nobody."

"I'm really worried about those Heart Reapers though," Kairi frowned. "What if they go after our friends? Is there anything that can combat them?"

Rinoa shrugged, looking uneasy. "Not unless they have a supply of Adamant and know a really good blacksmith."

Kairi looked at them with a confused expression.

Quistis smiled. "We'll explain later."

After a few minutes of idle talk, the two women left Kairi to prepare for the day. She stood on wobbly legs, shuffling slowly at first before taking more confident steps. She walked over to the mirror in the small bedroom, gasping at the sight of herself. Her auburn hair had grown several inches and snarled in ugly knots. Her face was pale and shallow, as though the sun had not graced it in months. She frowned. It probably hadn't. Her pink skirt and shirt were dirty and torn, she assumed beyond repair. She sighed, walking into the connected bathroom to shower. When she returned to her room, she found new clothes laid out for her. Kairi dressed and observed herself in the mirror. A light blue shirt with a flowing sleeve lead to a pair of short black shorts with a knee-length skirt-like addition flowing off to the left side. Kairi shrugged. It wasn't her usual style, but it would do.

She drifted into the next room, where she saw Rinoa, Quistis, and two men absorbed in conversation.

"Hey, Kairi; are you feeling better?" asked Rinoa.

"Yeah, _much _better," Kairi smiled. "Thanks for the clothing rental."

"No problem whatsoever," she answered. "Let me introduce our friends. Zack, Zell, this is Kairi."

She greeted the two men shyly. The one was stunningly handsome, bangs falling to either side of his face, black spikes sticking up in a unruly fashion. The other had an almost childlike charm. He smiled at her, and Kairi noticed an unusual tattoo on the side of his face.

"Nice to meet you," said Zack. "Is what Rinoa and Quistis told us true? Cloud and the others are still alive?"

Kairi nodded eagerly. "Alive and well. Or alive, at least, in Cloud's case."

The four chuckled at her joke.

"He didn't used to be _that _bad," said Zell. "I figured Tifa or Aerith would've beaten it out of him by now."

She frowned. "Tifa's not with them at the moment. Something happened between her and Cloud. I don't know; the details I got were really hazy. I figured it wasn't my place to ask."

"I just… can't wait to get back to them," sighed Rinoa, a slight smile appearing in the corners of her mouth. "How long until Bugenhagen's experiment is ready to be tested?"

Zack frowned. "Rinoa, I think you're forgetting that being able to transport from one place to another with that machine requires the proper coordinates."

"Hollow Bastion's coordinates?" asked Kairi. "Oh, that's easy. X4183.5, Y6087.1"

The others looked at her, astonished.

"What?" she asked innocently. "Sora had Riku and me memorize coordinates to different worlds in case anything happened to him and he wasn't able to fly the ship."

Zell grinned. "I swear this girl is our blessing."

Kairi smiled, glad to be in the company of others again. Granted, she was grateful just to be in a realm of existence once more. She didn't know how long it would take - several days, maybe months, even years, to get back to her friends, but she held a likeness with the people of Gaia. They were all searching for a way to reunite with their comrades, and in this commonality they bonded.

Her heart ached as she remembered her friends, Sora grieving over what she was sure he thought was her death, of Riku, who surely mourned as well. She hoped that they could find some sense of comfort in each other, that they could move on until the three were together once more. Kairi sighed, thinking of the day they would finally be reunited.

* * *

"Sora, I'm beginning to think Leon was way off with his keyhole theory," Riku fell onto the couch at Merlin's house and stared into the empty fire hearth. They had been out scouting for keyholes the entire morning, and had only managed to run into a few weak Nobodies and Hybrids.

"I'm sure they're here somewhere," said Sora optimistically. He plopped down next to Riku, his arm brushing against his. Riku tensed slightly, but it went unnoticed by Sora. He slouched down so that his head was parallel with Riku's shoulder, his spiked hair grazing Riku's skin. He shivered visibly, but Sora was oblivious. Riku rolled his eyes. Why was Sora doing this to him? Did he even realize it? Riku decided to test his theory.

"We're on house watch tonight, right?" asked Riku.

"Mhm. The others are at the keep."

Riku smirked. "Man, it's going to be boring without them, don't you think?"

"Nah," said Sora. "I mean, we haven't had a lot of time alone together in awhile."

His jaw dropped. Riku was too baffled to say anything. Had Sora just vaguely insinuated… Was he really doing this consciously, or was he just so comfortable with Riku that he didn't hear the obvious innuendo in his speech? But Sora had said things with such heavy implications before… they both had, and neither ever called the other out on it. When Riku had given Sora the paupu fruit, when they were reunited in the World That Never Was, when they were together in the Darkness before returning to Destiny Islands… He remembered Sora being completely content at the idea of staying with him in the darkness. Had he really meant it?

"_Just the two of us, alone. There would be no judgment." _Riku thought, and in his mind it made sense. But ever since Sora and Kairi had gotten together, those comments - some more suggestive than others - had almost completely disappeared from their conversations. And it was Sora who had brought them back, not he. Did he even realize he was doing it, or was Kairi's absence and his loneliness bringing this out of him?

"Yeah… That'd be nice," said Riku, slouching down to Sora's level. His heart pounded into his throat as he looked into Sora's azure eyes. He prayed that his cheeks had not reddened. He decided to play along. "But there's really… nothing to do, is there?" He nudged Sora's knee with his own. Riku swallowed the lump in his throat. Was he honestly flirting with Sora? More importantly, was Sora flirting back?

"I'm sure we can think of something," Sora raised an eyebrow mischievously. He brushed his hand lightly against Riku's leg as he stood up. Seriously, was that accidental? Riku felt thoroughly confused. Surely Sora was not as naïve as he had been a few years ago about such things. He couldn't be acting this way without merit.

Riku let his thoughts drift as he watched Sora prepare the fire. His arms flexed as he picked up two heavy logs. Riku had to stop himself from staring as Sora turned around. Gone were the signs of awkward adolescence. They had been replaced by a strong confidence that had always lurked in his personality, scrawny limbs replaced by ripped, lean muscles.

Sora smiled, looking at Riku as he placed the logs into the fireplace. "What?" he asked, catching Riku's eye.

"Nothing," Riku shrugged. Yeah right, nothing. Sora's smile still captivated him, the same one he had at the age of fifteen, though his features had changed somewhat. Riku wondered how he had lasted harboring feelings for his friend. He had kept them at bay, laying latent for years. After all, it hadn't been fair to Kairi. She was such a sweet girl, certainly more deserving of Sora than himself. He froze, realizing his feelings toward Sora were resurfacing _because _of Kairi's absence. Was Sora clinging to him because he had lost Kairi, or had these emotions existed as Riku's, coming back only in her disappearance?

"_That doesn't make it any better. That's still horrible to Kairi," _Riku thought bitterly. _"Just because she told Sora to move on doesn't mean it's right for me to…"_

To what, take a chance with him? Was Riku actually considering it? What if Sora's supposed attraction to him was fleeting, created only from the loss he felt for Kairi? In that case, starting anything was out of the question. But what if it wasn't? What if it was, purely and simply, a mutual attraction, if not… No, Riku wasn't going to throw _that _word around, no matter how much it was based in truth.

"You know, Xeron's been snooping around the house lately," Sora warned, glancing out the window behind him. He called his Keyblade and cast a low grade Fire spell, lighting the hearth instantly. He walked to the front of the house and peered out the window.

"I wouldn't worry about him," Riku waved away the thought. "The guy's a joke. I mean, c'mon, I know he's their friend's Hybrid and everything, but he's completely worthless."

"When the time calls for it, he's probably as useless as Demyx," Sora frowned.

"Yeah, exactly. I don't see what the problem is,"

"Eesh, that's not what I meant," Sora put a hand on his forehead. "You never had to actually _fight _Demyx, did you?"

"No, but-"

"Yeah, that's just it. Demyx _acted _like a total wuss until he was cornered. Then it was all 'Dance water, dance!', and you were in for a battle of epic proportions. Water at accelerated speeds hurts like hell, let me tell you what."

Riku laughed. "You're _still _bitter about having such a hard time beating him, aren't you?"

Sora raised an eyebrow. "He was tougher than he looked. I'm just saying that we shouldn't underestimate Xeron's ability kick ass. We need to take care of him without destroying him, just in case there's any chance of him being returned to his original self."

"So we need to defeat him without annihilating him," agreed Riku.

"Exactly, like you did to Roxas" Sora nodded. "So the next time we see him snooping around, we pounce. We can't keep treating him like a slightly dangerous joke."

"This better not be the same situation as it was with Roxas," said Riku. "I am _not _taking on Ansem's form again."

Sora snickered. "You'd better not. I'm not going to lie to you, Riku. It was creepy."

Riku had expected to be angered by Sora's remark, but found that he could only laugh. "Hey, you wouldn't be so condescending if _you _were the one turned into Xehanort's Heartless."

"Fair enough," Sora agreed.

The early afternoon dragged on with little incident. Sora and Riku took the opportunity to laze around for the first time in weeks. As of late they had been searching endlessly for keyholes that neither were certain actually existed, destroying Heartless, Nobodies and Hybrids, all while trying to bring peace to the world upon which they were trapped. Riku slouched against the wall as he observed the town from the window. He frowned. A familiar, unkempt, dark haired man scouted the area, a menacing sword swung over his back.

"Sora," said Riku apprehensively. "Look: Fuzen's back."

"Fuzen? What the hell is he doing hanging around here?" asked Sora as he jumped to the window. He called Ultima, stuffed a few potions into his pockets, and ran out the door. Riku hurried after him, Way to Dawn materializing his hand.

"Why did you come back here, Fuzen?" asked Sora angrily as he paced toward him.

Fuzen met Sora's eyes with a bored expression. "I've been busy elsewhere. With you unable to travel through worlds, Hollow Bastion has become the least of my worries."

"Well you're here now," growled Riku. "So we might as well finish this."

"Indeed, that _was _my intention, foolish boy."

Angered by Fuzen's comment, Riku tightened his grip on Way to Dawn. "_Please_… how old are you, like two?"

"I have all the memories of my former self, and that's what's important," he snarled. He raised his double bladed sword and leapt at the two. Riku and Sora blocked his attacks with their Keyblades, trying to move past him to strike. Fuzen's movements were swift, and the two struggled to keep up with him. He swung the blade hard at Sora, hitting him in the stomach and throwing him into the wall. Sora gave himself a potion and jumped back up, striking him repeatedly with Ultima. Riku took this opportunity to attack, bashing Fuzen in the head with Way to Dawn. He faltered and stumbled backward, Sora and Riku taking advantage of his weakness. Fuzen's sword slipped from his grip.

"Argh…" Sora yelped in pain. Before Riku could ask what had happened he felt a sharp blade rip through his shoulder. He turned around to face another enemy as Sora continued to fight a weakened Fuzen.

"Xeron!" he yelled.

The Hybrid stared back at him with mischievous green eyes. "I'm going to have to hear it from the boss if you destroy my superior… And as much as I'd love to run away from this one, I'm a _little _more afraid of his wrath than I am of yours."

Xeron whipped a handful of throwing stars at Riku. He dodged and reflected them as he lunged toward the Hybrid. "Looks like you've got your priorities wrong," he said, hitting Xeron straight across the chest. Riku felt victorious. He was too close for Xeron's weapons to have any effect on him. He crashed Way to Dawn into the Hybrid repeatedly until he cowered over.

"Enough! Enough!" he begged. Riku backed off slightly as Xeron raised a hand to him in a manner that Riku assumed meant he had given up. Riku held his Keyblade defensively, still worried that the Hybrid might attack. He was taken completely off guard as the Hybrid shot a ball of dark lightning toward him, hitting him square in the chest. Riku fell backward, his heart jolting from the shock. He lay on the ground unable to move from the strong surge of electricity.

"Riku!" Sora yelled. He felt the familiar relief of Curaga wipe over him, and Riku jumped to his feet to help his friend. Xeron looked baffled at his quick recovery, bracing himself for an attack. Riku lunged at him and hit him square in the head, causing the Hybrid to double over, stumbling to the ground.

"Get out of here!" Riku ordered. "You're lucky we know your former friends!"

He looked up at Riku in an almost apologetic manner before surrounding himself in gray vines, disappearing from the scene. Riku took no time to contemplate his actions, but instead ran to the aid of his friend. He struck at Fuzen as he blocked Sora's fast attacks. As he struggled, Riku noticed that the Hybrid wasn't holding his weapon; it seemed to float with his hand, sweeping across powerfully as it assailed both Riku and Sora simultaneously. Riku pushed past his attack as Sora evaded a deadly swipe. They plunged their Keyblades toward him, sinking them into his chest as Fuzen fell to the ground, his weapon clanging on the stony walk beneath his feet.

"Damn you, Keyblade Masters," he choked weakly. "I just wanted a heart… Is that so wrong?"

Sora and Riku backed away slowly as a gray mist began seeping from his body. It overtook him, and the Hybrid faded away from the world.

* * *

Sora looked out the window at the dimly lit cobblestone street. The moon illuminated the somber town, casting its pale light into the room. It was a peaceful night despite the battle that had partaken earlier. He felt content to stand there, staring out at a landscape he knew did not hold the tranquility it seemed to this night.

Sora turned around quickly as the lamp behind him clicked on, its dim light casting long shadows through the room.

"Hey," he smiled wryly at Riku.

"So that really _was _a battle of epic proportions," Riku laughed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Sora shrugged. "_You're _the one who got hit the hardest," He approached Riku, stepping toward him and closing their distance, mere inches separating them. Riku's warm breath swept across his face once more, washing down his neck. He closed his eyes briefly, wondering if he held the courage to take the path he so desperately wanted to pursue.

"Sora, how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to worry about me?" his voice was light in his accusation.

"I know," whispered Sora, looking into Riku's sapphire eyes. "I just… if anything were to…" he trailed off, extending his hand toward Riku's and entwining their fingers together. To his surprise Riku wrapped his fingers around his hand, squeezing it firmly.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sora," he whispered, his lips nearly grazing Sora's ear. Sora felt a free hand snake around his waist. He untangled his fingers and put his hand lightly to Riku's cheek, his fingers resting on his jaw. Sora leaned forward slowly, his eyes shutting as he pressed his lips to Riku's, kissing him softly. Riku responded, his lips moving in rhythm with Sora's. He slid his hand across Riku's face and slipped it into his hair, wrapping his fingers around silver locks. He slinked his other hand up Riku's back, gripping his shirt tightly. Riku kissed more fervently, a strong desire stemming from the embrace. Sora slid his tongue along Riku's lips, and he parted them slowly. He grazed his tongue lightly against his friend's as Riku reacted with a strong want, clutching at Sora's chest, pulling him even closer. Sora kissed him deeply, Riku's tongue brushing against his lips as they slowly pulled apart.

They broke the kiss, staring into each other's eyes for a long moment. Sora's heart beat rapidly, and he knew Riku could feel it, his palm lightly pressed against his chest. Sora relaxed his grip on Riku's hair, fingers moving to carress his jaw as he cupped Riku's cheek lightly. He couldn't believe it. He had kissed Riku. The wall had finally crumbled, water rushing through a shattered levy. That boundary that had separated them from friendship and love dissolved instantly as though it had never been meant to exist in the first place.

"Promise?" asked Sora, words failing him.

"Of course," breathed Riku as he kissed him again.

* * *

So there's Chapter Ten, yay! Sorry if the update was slower than usual; it took me longer to write than most others because I've had a _lot _going on lately. Anyway, so yeah, I decided to ressurect Zack. Aerith's alive, so why not? I also thought it'd be interesting to bring some more FFVIII characters in as well... I always kind of assumed that the reason Squall still went by Leon in the second game even though they had taken back their world had something to do with Rinoa. As for the Adamant reference, that goes wayyyy back into Final Fantasy history. You'll see.

And we've finally got some Soriku going on. Should be interesting if Kairi manages to get back to Radiant Garden sometime in the future...

Peace out 'til Chapter Eleven!


	11. Discovery

Chapter Eleven is finally done! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in almost two weeks; I had no inspiration at all. I was stuck on a scene and I just couldn't get past it. Well, that's over and hopefully it worked out!

DISCLAIMER: I have a sinking suspicion that Disney would be pretty pissed if I owned Kingdom Hearts. Maybe not Square Enix, but Disney would sack me pronto.

* * *

CHAPTER ELEVEN: DISCOVERY

Sora lay in bed for hours, unable to sleep. He could barely fathom what had happened. Had he really kissed Riku? What would this do to their friendship? Would it lead to something more? What if someone found out? It was the last question scared him the most. Riku was a guy; he wasn't supposed to fall for him. Yet Sora knew that this was much more than an infatuation. His bond with Riku was stronger than anything he knew. He rolled over onto his side. He had shared a few passionate moments with his best friend, that was all. They hadn't expressed any deeper emotions besides agreeing not to leave each other. He pounded his fist into the mattress. That was practically a confession. He supposed he wouldn't mind so much if no one ever found out, if he and Riku could be together without judgmental glares. That shouldn't matter, his brain rationalized, but Sora found it impossible to believe. Their moment had ended with a few impassioned kisses, each retiring to his own room. As much as Sora may have wanted to venture into Riku's room, he forced himself to stay away. He would worry about his unrequited words in the morning.

Unfortunately for Sora, morning came all too quickly. After sleeping for only a few hours, he awoke to the sound of his alarm beckoning him to rise for the day. He grumbled, rolled out of bed, and headed across the hall to take a shower before walking downstairs to boil a pot of tea. Sora thought he felt his heart stop. Riku was already downstairs, sitting on the couch as he stared into the fire, sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

He turned around at the sound of Sora's approaching footsteps, a smile tugging in the corner of his mouth. "Hey," he said simply, setting his mug on the coffee table.

"Hey," Sora answered, taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch. He stared into the fire, shifting uncomfortably. So this was how it was going to be.

"Want some coffee?" offered Riku.

"Yeah, I'll get a cup in a little while," he answered almost monotonously.

"Nah, I've got it," Riku stood from his seat and went to the kitchen area to pour Sora a cup. He brought the brew back to Sora and took a seat next to him.

"Thanks," said Sora, concentrating all of his effort on the warm mug.

"Figured you could use it," Riku shrugged. "You look like you didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Sora took a gulp of the hot liquid, setting it on the table with a shaky hand. "Yeah, I… uh… couldn't sleep for some reason."

"Me either," responded Riku.

The two sat in silence for several minutes. Sora tried to concentrate on the crackling flames of the fire, but his mind drifted elsewhere. _"Why aren't we talking about it? Why haven't we mentioned anything? It did happen, didn't it?"_ The unspoken burden drove Sora crazy. He wanted to blurt something out, some sort of confession, or at the very least a hint that he was okay… more than okay, ecstatic, about what had happened the night before. He swallowed his fear and attempted conversation.

"Hey Riku," he cleared his throat. "About last night…"

Riku smirked, looking uncomfortable. "I was wondering which one of us was going to bring it up."

Sora shrugged. "Well, I don't know… I guess what I mean is… what do you think?"

"What do you mean?" asked Riku. "Do I regret it?"

"Uh, something like that."

He sighed. "God, Sora, do you even have to ask? Why would I do something like that if I were only going to regret it the next day? I mean, you don't regret it… do you?"

His heart jumped hopefully, a smile coming to his lips. "How could I?"

Riku breathed a sigh of relief. "So you… liked it?"

Sora gulped. The awkwardness of the conversation was killing him. He didn't want to talk about it; he wanted to act. It just seemed… right. Talking about it made it seem more real, and at the moment he preferred the esoteric quality their first kiss held. He didn't want to discuss it; he'd rather save words for another time. Without thinking, Sora lunged at Riku, his arms on his shoulders as he pushed him down on the couch, pressing their lips together and kissing him deeply. Riku made a slight noise of protest, as though he wished to keep talking, but quickly forgot his gripe as his lips met Sora's, responding hungrily to his advance. Riku flicked his tongue against Sora's lips, and Sora smiled slightly, allowing Riku's tongue to enter his mouth. He moved his own against Riku's, fighting for dominance. Riku put his hand on Sora's chest and pushed them back into a sitting position as their lips parted, his arousing breath traveling down Sora as his tongue snaked out to kiss his neck.

Sora moaned at the touch, arching his collar as Riku's lips moved against him, softly sucking the nape of his neck. Riku's lips, his touch… they were so much different than anything he had ever experienced before. Kairi kissed him like he was precious, breakable, a jewel to be guarded and handled with the utmost care. Riku, on the other hand… Riku drove him crazy. Riku's lips were hungry, his touch yearning, almost savagely seductive. Lust slowly consumed Sora as he slid his hand under Riku's shirt, ripped muscles taunting Sora's touch.

Click. "Hey guys, thought I'd bring you some-" Yuffie came to a halt, dropping the bag she held in her hands. Sora raised his head, his cheeks flushing as he let go of Riku, jumping up in embarrassment.

"Shit," Riku cursed, burying his head in the back of the couch.

"Oh. Oh my God. I'm so sorry," Yuffie bolted out of the house, leaving Sora and Riku alone.

Sora put his face in his hands, shaking his head. "Great… What're we supposed to do now? What if Yuffie says something?"

"We have to make sure she doesn't," Riku groaned.

Without a second thought, Sora sprinted out of the house, following Yuffie's trail. He found her walking briskly away from town, mumbling idly to herself.

"Yuffie! Yuffie, wait up!" he yelled.

"Oh, hey, Sora," she said uncomfortably, her cheeks turning pink. "Listen, about that, if I'd have known, I wouldn't've come by at all."

Sora shrugged. "It's not your fault. It just kind of… happened. We shouldn't have been…"

"Making out in an open space in broad daylight?" she offered sarcastically.

Sora frowned, stifling the small chuckle that rose from his chest. "To be honest, I don't really know what's going on with us right now; we haven't really talked about it."

Yuffie snickered. "Yeah, I could see there wasn't a lot of talking going on."

"Yuffie!" Sora rolled his eyes. "Can't you take this seriously? No one knows about… this, so could you please keep it quiet? We don't want anyone to know…"

"That you're gay?" she suggested.

Sora clenched a fist. "We're not gay! Well, at least _I'm_ not." He frowned. For some reason, the idea of Riku being gay had never even crossed his mind. In retrospect, it didn't really matter anymore.

"I was just teasing you," Yuffie smiled. "Don't worry; I'll keep it quiet until you guys are ready to tell the others. You might wanna be more careful in the future, though."

Sora sighed, relieved. "So you'll cover for us, right?"

"Sure, I guess," Yuffie nodded, but she looked uncertain. "But it's going to come out sooner or later whether the two of you want it to or not. Things like this always do."

"That's why we're not going to worry about it until that happens," Sora laughed nervously.

She smiled in understanding. "Alright then, I'll think of something to tell them so they don't come by for the next few hours."

"Thanks, Yuffe; you're the best."

"Don't mention it," she waved away the thought. "Now go back to your love-ah."

Sora felt his cheeks turn bright red. "Yuffie! He's not-"

"I'm only teasing," she giggled. "I knew that'd set you off. It's so easy to push your buttons. Anyway, I have to get back. I'll walkie you if anything comes up, okay?"

"Okay, sounds good," he said as he walked the opposite way, waving at her departure.

He returned to the house, opening the door hesitantly. He knew that he and Riku would have to talk about their… situation soon.

"Hey," Riku greeted him, still sitting on the couch as he sifted through the bag Yuffie had brought them. "Did you catch her in time?"

Sora nodded. "She said she wouldn't tell anyone, but warned me that it would get out eventually anyway."

"She's probably right," Riku frowned, pausing as though he were trying to approach a question. "Sora, what is this? What're we doing?"

Oh great, it was time for this conversation. He took a seat next to Riku and stared absently into the hearth.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I was hoping we'd never actually have to talk about it."

Riku laughed. "I guessed that much by the way you jumped me earlier."

"Hey, I didn't see you complaining!"

"Hmm... no protest here," he said deeply. Sora took this as a thinly veiled invitation and pushed himself on Riku. He gripped at the fabric on his chest and kissed him deeply, Riku responding with an excited moan before putting his hand on Sora's shoulder and pushing him away.

"Sora, I want this, I really do, but we need to talk about it."

"Jeeze, Riku; you sound like a girl," Sora protested.

Riku shook his head. "No I don't; I'm just trying to be rational. We've known each other for a really long time, you were in a committed relationship less than half a year ago, and then there's the small detail that… we're both guys."

Sora sighed. There was no way to get around this. "The fact that we've known each other for so long, doesn't that make this better? I know you better than anyone, so it's not like there are any skeletons in the closet."

"That's true, but…" Riku gulped. "But what about Kairi?"

Sora buried his face in his hands. "I don't know," he mumbled.

Riku's arm coiled around him in comfort. Sora rested his head on Riku's shoulder.

"I keep wondering if I'm betraying her," he continued. "And then I remember… she's gone; I'm never going to see her again. She told me that she wanted me to be happy, to find someone. I just don't think she would've expected it to be you."

Riku chuckled into Sora's hair. "She's probably watching us right now, thinking: 'Wow, I never saw that one coming.'"

Sora laughed slightly before becoming serious again. "I still feel guilty for… you know, moving on."

"That's understandable," Riku frowned.

"I don't think I could move on if it was anyone but you though," he rationalized. "You don't think she'd be upset if she knew, do you?"

"You said yourself she wanted you to be happy," Riku shrugged.

"Yeah you're right."

"Which brings us to issue number three."

Sora groaned. Of all the things he didn't want to talk about, this one was the highest on the list. "It's… different," he responded unhelpfully. "Way different than with a girl."

"Yeah, I know," Riku nodded. "But it shouldn't matter, right?"

He shrugged. "It's everyone else that I'm worried about. Yuffie's right; if they don't find out themselves, we'll end up telling them eventually."

"Keyword being eventually," Riku whispered in Sora's ear, lips brushing against his lobe, traveling along his cheekbone, nibbling at his neck.

"God, Riku," Sora breathed. "You said you wanted to talk but then you turn into a horndog?"

"I said I wanted to talk; I didn't say that was all I wanted to do. I can only stand it for so long now that I've had a taste," Riku answered seductively, bringing his lips to Sora's. He welcomed the kiss, deepening it as he slipped his tongue into Riku's mouth. Riku sucked it gently, pressing his own tongue against Sora's, brushing past it and grazing it against the roof of his friend's mouth. Sora groaned, enjoying the sensation as Riku put his hand on Sora's chest, pushing him onto his back, his other hand clenching Sora's wrist. Riku lay on top of him, chests pressing against each other as they explored. He put his lips to Sora's neck, sucking the place that had caused him to moan in their previous session. He nibbled the skin lightly with his teeth.

"Mm..." he gasped again, his hand grasping Riku's hip as the bite sent waves of pleasure up his neck, into his shoulder...

Sora freed his captive hand, running it down Riku's chiseled chest. He couldn't stand it. Riku's muscles felt too good to his wandering fingers. As the older of the two arched his back upward, Sora grabbed his shirt with eager hands, yanking it up and over Riku's head. Riku stopped for a moment, looking at Sora's darkened eyes as they ran down his body. Overcome by desire, Sora grabbed Riku's waist and pulled him onto the couch, reversing their positions. Sora straddled his friend, bending down to run his tongue across his jaw line.

"Damn, Sora," Riku whispered huskily, his fingers gripping at brown spikes.

Sora kissed his neck, sucking at his collarbone. He ran his fingers down Riku's chest, rippling muscles squirming from the pleasure of Sora's touch. He moved his hands from Sora's hips and pulled his shirt up. Sora stopped briefly to put his arms parallel, making Riku's work easier.

Riku took in Sora's physique, his eyes skimming a hardened chest, a sinewy abdomen of well-defined muscles.

"Damn…" Riku repeated as Sora moved down his body, kissing his toned physique. Riku pulled them into a sitting position, and Sora wrapped his legs around Riku's waist. He cupped Sora's face, bringing it up to his own and kissing him softly on the lips.

"Why can't it always be like this?" asked Sora, putting his forehead against Riku's so that their noses pressed together.

"Now it can," smiled Riku, his fingers caressing Sora's lower back.

Sora withdrew his face, finally comfortable with their situation as he looked at Riku. He rested his chin on Riku's shoulder, laughing slightly to himself as he tangled his fingers into long, silver hair.

"What's so funny?"

"Who'd have ever thought?" Sora answered.

"Our parents would shit bricks," Riku said into Sora's hair.

"Ugh… Let's _never_ tell them."

"Agreed."

"But what about the others?" Sora inquired. "This isn't one of those things that's easy to keep hidden for long."

"We'll tell them when we're ready," Riku nuzzled his neck. "Yuffie finding out wasn't so bad, was it?"

"You're right," he agreed. "For now let's just enjoy what we have; we'll deal with the future as it comes."

As Sora sat there with Riku, his fingers toying with soft locks that they so long ago wished to touch, he realized that he was finally at peace for the first time in months. He felt Riku's now familiar breath on his neck, remembering how awkward it had once been. Now it was alluring, mysterious… a sweet, exotic flavor that he yearned to explore. All of his dormant feelings toward Riku had resurfaced, overtaking his better sense. All he wanted to do was be with him, a craving he had denied himself of in the past because of his own fear. As they sat, pressed against each other in an embrace, Sora wondered how he had gone so long without Riku's touch. It felt right beyond all measure.

* * *

Yuffie walked quickly down the trail that lead back to the keep. _Holy shit. Sora and Riku_. She couldn't rack the image from her mind; it was imbedded in her consciousness. She was afraid she would blurt something out to - in the best case, Aerith, in the worst, Cid.

_"Maybe I should tell Aerith,"_ Yuffie considered. _"No, they have my trust. If they found out I narked, I'd probably be beaten to a bloody pulp in my sleep."_

Was Sora's reaction just a rebound from losing Kairi? She doubted it; if that had been the case he probably would have just briefly pursued a girl. Sora wasn't the type of guy to do something like that anyway; he was too caring of a person. No, she considered, his feelings for Riku were probably genuine, and vice versa.

She unlocked the door to the keep, walking in as Aerith poured tea for herself and Cloud.

"How are Sora and Riku doing?" she asked.

Yuffie gulped. "Oh, you know, cheerful as ever."

"What did they think of the lunch I sent?"

"Oh, uh…" she scratched her head absently. "They were ecstatic, said they were glad they didn't have to cook for themselves."

Well, it was working so far, Yuffie mused. She knew that Aerith's lunch had been neglected and replaced by other activities.

"I knew that would make their day," said Aerith, smiling as she shook her head.

_"I'm sure other things did that more effectively,"_ thought Yuffie, wishing she could say something aloud. _"It's just Cloud and Aerith, the two people who are least likely to say anything…"_

No, she still had to keep it under wraps. It was Sora and Riku's business, not hers.

"Did they find any keyholes yet?" asked Cloud.

"I don't think they've gone out yet today," she shrugged, looking down at the ground.

Cloud rolled his eyes, smirking slightly. "Like they have anything better to do."

Yuffie clenched her fists together in restraint. Aerith and Cloud were making it way too easy for her to slip up. Did they suspect? If they suspected, surely it was okay to-

"No!" she said aloud.

Cloud cocked an eyebrow. "Yuffie, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled nervously. "I just… I left my spare shuriken at the house. I'll be back in a bit!"

Yuffie sprinted out the door and away from the keep. She stopped when she was out of its sight, leaning against the tall cliff.

She smiled slightly, shaking her head. "Those boys will be the death of me."

Kairi sighed, taking in the beauty of Balamb's seaside town. She walked through its cobblestone streets, the salty breeze reminding her of her distant island. Her feet pattered against its charming walkways as she admired the quaint atmosphere, so different from its Radiant Garden counterpart.

"It really is beautiful here," Kairi reflected.

"Yeah," Rinoa agreed. "I feel bad that the others got stuck in Radiant Garden, especially considering the state it's in now."

"They don't seem to mind it," Kairi shrugged. "They're doing everything in their power to restore it and keep it out of the control of the HRO. That's what Sora, Riku, and I were doing before…"

Rinoa smiled in empathy. "Kairi, I understand what it's like to be torn away from the one you love, to go so long without their touch…"

Kairi wrapped her arms around herself. "I just miss him so much. It's like when we were separated when he went to search for Riku. I didn't see him for well over a year… but I always knew he'd come back to me."

"This time you'll be the one coming back to him," Rinoa comforted her.

"You're right," Kairi nodded. "It's my turn. He's not going to come searching for me because he thinks…"

"I know," said Rinoa empathetically. "Don't worry; we'll get your new keychains made, and once Bugenhagen finishes his machine, we'll go back to Radiant Garden. You'll see Sora again, and he'll welcome you into his arms."

Kairi smiled. She closed her eyes, imagining Sora's strong embrace, his lips on her forehead as he whispered sweet words to her. Her heart soared, imagining the next time her eyes would meet Sora's. She sighed, knowing when she returned that their love would be reignited. They would remain in each other's arms forever, never to be separated again.

* * *

Poor Kairi! I have no idea why I keep torturing this poor girl. She's so sweet, and yet I keep making her life miserable. As I've said before, I have no qualms with Kairi, and yet she seems to get the worst luck in my story.

Well, Chapter Eleven is done. Sorry again for the long wait between ten and eleven.

Thank you for the reviews and faves; you guys are awesome!

As always, new feedback is greatly appreciated. It really helps me write and keeps me motivated.

Thanks again, see ya for Chapter Twelve!


	12. Adamant

So before I posted this chapter, I noticed that this story said Updated 10/27/08! What's gotten into me? I'm so sorry for this took so long. Real life, college, and NaNoWriMo are owning my soul right now. It's quite annoying actually; I'd much rather Kingdom Hearts owned my soul.

Thanks so much for the reviews; you guys are awesome and I loved the feedback!!!

Again, I'm really sorry it took me so long to finish this chapter.

**DISCLAIMER: **Yeah, not mine...

* * *

CHAPTER TWELVE: ADAMANT

Kairi panted as she trekked up the path, knees buckling as she tried to keep up with Quistis and Zack's accelerated pace. Her lungs ached; her muscles swelled. Completely out of breath, Kairi stopped to rest her cramping legs.

"Are you okay?" asked Zack as he and Quistis turned around to face an exhausted Kairi.

"Yeah," she wheezed. "The whole not existing thing just really put me out of shape."

"It's okay," said Quistis, beckoning her forward. "We're almost to Dwarf Cave. You can rest there."

"Great…" said Kairi, trying to conceal the sarcasm in her voice as they trudged up the rocky path. It reminded her of Radiant Garden's winding narrows, but the material was a chalky white substance rather than a muted sediment.

They entered into the mouth of a cave, the darkness inside opening to a brightly lit cavern, its torches dancing in their own pale glow as the three walked through the plain corridor. Kairi was startled as a small man dressed in a medieval tunic and tights greeted them.

"Zack, Quistis! How good to see you!" he smiled, his gruff voice jubilant.

"Thanks, Nerrick," said Quistis.

"What brings you here today?"

"We need to see Edrick. Is he in?" asked Zack.

"Seems he always is," Nerrick nodded. "You need some new weapons, repair?"

"Both, actually," said Quistis. "We've got a broken Keyblade and we need a few chains made."

"Well, I won't keep you," Nerrick waved at them as he continued on his way. "Good luck; Edrick makes the best!"

Kairi continued to follow Quistis and Zack down the path, stopping at a doorway with a thick veil covering it. Quistis brushed it aside and entered the room, Zack and Kairi following behind her.

"Hello, Edrick," Quistis greeted the small dwarf. He smiled brightly at her, his small blue eyes gentle as he stroked his short, white beard.

"Ah, Quistis, Zack!" he exclaimed, his voice less gruff than Tibar's. "I had a feeling you'd be visiting soon. It's been several months since you've needed anything to be repaired."

Zack smiled. "Actually, we have something quite… different from what we usually bring in. Figured you were the only one who could handle the job. How long has it been since you worked on a Keyblade?"

"Oh, a Keyblade?" the short man exclaimed. "Why, I haven't seen one of those in years! I had no idea you were a Master!"

"I'm not," said Zack, gesturing to Kairi. "She's the Keyblade Master."

Her heart jolted at the term. She wasn't _the _Keyblade Master; that was Sora. "I… I can summon a Keyblade, but I'm not the master." she said uncomfortably.

"The fact that you can summon it makes you a Keyblade Master, miss… What's your name?"

"Kairi," she answered.

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you, Kairi. Now, if you could kindly call that magnificent weapon…"

Kairi nodded, materializing the two pieces of her broken Keyblade. Her right hand gripped the shorter handle as the left clenched the broken blade.

"Oh my," the dwarf shook his head. "It must have been a very powerful weapon to have broken a Keyblade."

"It was Heart Reaper," said Kairi, her voice dark.

Edrick looked astonished as he took the weapon from her hands. "It's a miracle you're alive... I assume you're here to get this fixed?"

Quistis nodded. "We were also wondering if we could get some keychains made, something that could stand up against a Heart Reaper."

The dwarf looked up at he ceiling, his eyes pensive. "I would need a very strong material… something no other alloy can withstand."

With a small smile, Quistis removed the bag she carried over her shoulder and pulled out a beautifully shimmering stone, its diamond-like surface glittering in the dim light of the cave. Kairi stared in astonishment.

"That's… that's Adamant," stuttered the dwarf. "Why, I haven't seen this in hundreds of years! I haven't worked with it since I made Xcalber! Where on earth did you manage to find it?"

"It's a relic that was left by the Light Warriors. We couldn't recover the sword you made, but we did find the leftover Adamant," explained Zack. "We've had it for several years, but we couldn't think of a use for it. There isn't enough to make another sword, but there should be enough to make three keychains."

"Oh, certainly, certainly!" exclaimed Edrick, taking the sparkling gem in his hands. "It's strange to think that I held this so long ago… Usually there would be a waiting list, but I'm going to start on this right away!"

The dwarf politely informed his customers that he needed the utmost concentration and devotion to undertake their project, asking them to return to the cave the next day. Kairi barely dreaded the walk back to the dwarves' dwelling when she woke the following morning. Her feet were more limber as she followed Quistis and Zack through the rugged terrain, through Dwarf Cave and to Edrick's home.

He smiled at them as they entered, his eyes gleaming. "I think you'll be quite happy with the results, Kairi."

He held a long, concealed item wrapped in a silky cloth. He passed it off to Kairi, who gripped it in anticipation, slowly lifting the drape. She gasped. Her Keyblade had been restored to its former glory. There was no evidence that it had been broken at all.

"Edrick, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, her eyes running down the blade as her fingers stroked the place where it had once been broken.

"I'm glad you like it," he grinned, proud of his work. "Now, the bit that I'm _very _excited about…"

He held out his fist and dropped something into Kairi's hand. She examined the intricate, beautifully crafted keychain. Nearly the length of her palm, it twisted and curved around itself, almost in the style of Sora's Ultima. A bright silver metal wove into the Adamant stone, creating a pure, crystalline effect.

Kairi gasped. "This is absolutely gorgeous!"

"And practical," said the dwarf. "I'm sure it suits the Keyblade better than it does your hand."

Kairi took the hint and slipped the chain onto the hilt of her blade. She jumped back slightly as her Keyblade began to take on a new shape. It molded itself, twisting, curving, lengthening, until Kairi held an unrecognizable weapon in her hand. Her jaw dropped in awe as she admired the interloping silver and stone that adorned the blade from the hilt to its tip.

"Those keychains will deflect any blade, even Heart Reaper," Edrick nodded proudly.

"I don't know how to thank you," Kairi smiled.

"Your deeds to these worlds are thanks enough," the dwarf answered. "Now, get out of here and defeat those Hybrids. Do it for all of us."

She nodded surely. "I'll do it; I promise."

Kairi smiled to herself as the three made their way back to Balamb. Although she could have called her Keyblade away for a time when she needed it, she let it swing over her back, fingers wrapped around the hilt as her mind wandered. It had been Sora and Riku who had saved her those years ago, Sora and Riku who had trekked through the worlds for her well-being. A sense of pride welled in her heart, a slight smile molding on her lips. She felt empowered. She knew she could save them the way that they had saved her. Kairi's heart soared as she imagined a warm embrace from Riku, a soft kiss from Sora, tears falling from three sets of eyes. She sighed warmly, knowing that they would soon be reunited.

* * *

"Sora, stop; we're on a mission!" Riku laughed as he tried to push Sora off of him.

"But we haven't been alone in so long…" Sora complained, nipping at Riku's neck. "C'mon, we're in the middle of nowhere."

Riku sighed into Sora advances. It was true, ever since the day Yuffie had walked in on them, they had been given very little time alone together. Still, they needed to find the illusive keyholes about which Leon had theorized.

"Sora…" he groaned, half with annoyance, half with pleasure as lips nipped at his collarbone.

With a small smile, Sora slipped his hand under Riku's shirt, softly stroking his nipple with a thumb.

"Mmn…" he moaned. "You wanna play this game, Sora? We'll play."

He grabbed Sora by the shoulders and flipped him around, his back against the cliff. With strong arms, Riku pushed the younger man into a seated position, straddling his lap as he met his lips and pulled him in for a rough, impassioned kiss. "I win." he whispered seductively.

"Don't you wish," Sora smirked, his eyes full of lust as he grabbed Riku's shirt and flipped him onto his back.

"Why you little runt!" he snarled in mocked anger, grabbing Sora's wrists and wrestling him onto the ground.

Sora laughed. "Litlle runt? I'm not fifteen anymore, Riku. I caught up to you, remember?"

Riku rolled propped himself up on Sora's chest. "Hmm… It's a good thing you did."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Sora, leaning on his elbows. His tone still held a light connotation, so Riku didn't worry himself over it. "Are you saying you wouldn't find me… _attractive _if I were still short and lanky?"

He put his head down, laughing into Sora's chest. "Nah, I loved you even back then."

Riku froze. His breathing grew shallow. His heart pulsed in his chest. Had he really just said… Slowly he lifted his head to meet Sora's expression. He looked just as shocked. Sora blinked a few times, remaining silent. Riku could feel a rush of heat coming over his face as he stared into Sora's eyes in anticipation and fear. Perhaps it had been too soon; maybe he should have waited to say something of such high importance.

A sheepish smile graced his face. "I loved you back then too." Sora pushed them both into a seated position and kissed him, his lips much more chaste than in previous encounters.

When they broke, Riku sighed in a mixture of relief and confusion. "Even back then? But… what about Kairi?"

Sora hesitated, his expression uneasy. "I guess I… This is going to sound really weird…"

Riku leaned forward, placing his forehead on Sora's. "Sora, it's me. Most people would see this whole situation as being weird. You know you can tell me anything."

He shrugged, looking down in embarrassment. "I liked both of you."

"Oh, well that's not so strange."

"Really?"

"Okay, it's a _little _out there," Riku smirked. "But I mean… I was in the same situation."

Sora's eyes widened. "You mean you… why didn't you ever say anything to either of us?"

He frowned, an uncomfortable lump building in his throat. "Because… you and Kairi were so happy; you were always together. Everyone expected it. For me to intrude was completely out of the question. I mean, what would people think?"

"I don't give a damn what people think," Sora mumbled, his lips brushing Riku's ear.

He laughed sarcastically. "Yeah right, Sora; that's why we're doing this in the most secluded part of Radiant Garden."

"Touché…" he sighed, sitting back as he placed his hands on Riku's hips. "But if you want to come out to everyone, by all means, I'm not stopping you."

"_Hey, _I never insinuated that I wanted to," Riku whispered. "You know I'm just as happy keeping this under wraps as you are."

Sora sighed, withdrawing his face to look into Riku's eyes. "It's a little annoying though."

"Yeah, I know," Riku entwined his fingers with Sora's. "But… as long as _we _know, that's the important part, right?"

His friend's mouth upturned, pecking him on the lips before standing. "Yeah, that's all that matters. We're not lying to ourselves anymore."

Riku put his palms on the ground and lifted himself to his feet, stepping beside Sora and slipping his hand into that of his friend. Sora squeezed his hand lightly in recognition, leaning closer. Riku felt his heart jump as one of Sora's spikes brushed against his face. He shivered at the slight contact.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" asked Sora with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing," Riku sighed. "This is just so… surreal."

He turned to face Sora, running a finger down his cheek. His skin felt warm as a slight stubble prickled his calloused hand. A flash of memories struck him: the two friends, mere toddlers, playing with buckets at the beach. They were a bit older, having a swimming competition around the small island. They were young teenagers again, racing each other, fighting against one another, working together to save each other. It felt as though all of their memories, their joined experiences, their friendship and comradery, all lead to this moment, the defining pinnacle of their friendship. Riku knew himself a fool to call it friendship. It was so much more, as it had always been, however young and naïve his eyes had once perceived it. His heart leaped again. This transcended even love, but in his current state he lacked the eloquence to say it.

He opened his mouth to speak, the words flowing smoothly from his tongue. "I love you."

Sora sighed into the words, his eyes shadowing. "And I love you."

He leaned forward, a hand slinking into silver locks as the other wrapped around the small of his back. Riku moved his hand down Sora's neck, gripping at a chiseled chest. Lips found eager lips as they kissed deeply. Riku couldn't deny that it felt impassioned, but there was less lust in this expression. The kiss was strong and swift like previous kisses, so different from his other experiences. Still it felt of love, like it was gentler, more meaningful now that their feelings had been expressed. Reluctantly they broke the embrace, faces so close that Riku could feel Sora's breath brushing against his own visage.

In their moment of blissful perfection, neither noticed a cloaked figure observing them from the shadows of a hidden fissure.

* * *

Gah, the fluff. Sorry for the lack of plot in Riku's half of the chapter. There will definitely be more in Thirteen; I just need certain events to coincide in the future, so there really couldn't be much of a plot in the second half.

I thought about putting in footnotes in Kairi's portion of this chapter since I wasn't creating any new characters or places (except for naming one of the dwarves Edrick and giving them both different dialogue), but I thought it might get distracting.

Anyway, here's where I'm going to explain what I was writing about for people who aren't familiar with the plot and characters in Final Fantasy I. Dwarf Cave is one of the places that you visit, and one of the dwarves (unnamed in the game; I gave him the name Edrick from the tombstone that appears in the town of Elfland) tells you that he can forge you a really powerful weapon if you give him Adamant. When Quistis gives him their supply of Adamant, he is surprised because he hasn't seen it since the time of the Light Warriors, who are the protagonists in Final Fantasy I. When you give him Adamant in Final Fantasy I, he gives you the weapon Xcalber. Hopefully that makes sense.

So yeah, Chapter Twelve... I'm not sure what I think about it yet. Like I said, I've unfortunately been really busy and I apologize profusely for not having an update sooner; thanks for your patience. The plot will really start to thicken in Thirteen, and I'm especially excited to write Fourteen!


	13. Reconnaissance

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: RECONNAISSANCE

The sun shone through his window, casting warming rays upon his waking face. He yawned, stretching his limbs as his groggy eyes met the morning light. Slowly he sat up, stumbling onto tired feet as he lumbered out of his room and down the stairs. Leon and Yuffie greeted him, poring over the old computer they had found hidden in the keep's basement.

"Find anything useful?" Sora asked, his voice still shadowed in sleep.

Leon nodded. "Yeah. It's an old computer, so it didn't take much effort for me to hack into. Leave it to Hybrids to be so careless, you know?"

"So what's it say?" he pressed, reading the ancient screen over their backs.

"We found some of their plans, their communication with other worlds…" Yuffie trailed off.

"Communication with other worlds?" Sora raised an eyebrow. "How is it possible for them to transmit information from world to world like that? Shouldn't the internet be world specific?"

"You'd think," Leon shrugged. "But the truth is, we have no idea how they're doing it. I'm trying to figure it out, but… What makes it all the more obnoxiously impressive is the fact that they managed this with a really out of date model. Not to mention that based on the information we have here, the problem's worse than we thought."

Sora sighed, running a hand down his face in exasperation. "How much worse?"

Yuffie frowned. "They're multiplying at alarming rates, even to worlds that Heartless never bothered, worlds that even you've never visited… Kingsbury's actually the only one we've heard of; Narnia, Camelot, Paris… These don't ring a bell at all. When and if you're able to leave Radiant Garden, you'll have to go world hopping again just to weed out all the baddies."

"Ugh…" Sora grumbled, but attempted to pick up the mood. "That's not so bad though; we get to meet new people, see old friends… I wonder how everyone's doing?"

"Unfortunately we have no means of communication with them," Leon said. "Hopefully they're resisting as best they can."

Sora gulped. "Yeah, I'm sure they are. Belle and Beast never gave up before. Neither will Aerial, Eric, and Triton. And you can bet Jack, Will, and Elizabeth are fighting too. Hmm… The only one I'm worried about is Simba…"

Yuffie giggled. "I'm sure I'd empathize if I knew what the hell you were talking about."

He scratched his head. "Oh yeah; sorry, I forgot you'd never been to those worlds. Hey! If I checked with Riku, maybe it'd be okay if you came with us? We've uh… got an extra seat…"

The heaviness of his unintentional implication struck the room. Yuffie looked uncomfortable.

Sora looked down, trying to think of a way to right is blunder. "Look, I know that was Kairi's place, but… it's fine. It's not like you're a replacement or anything, just a friend that we want to join us. Besides, do you actually think Riku and I can save the worlds by ourselves?"

Her frown turned into a wry smile. "While I do doubt your competence, I think Radiant Garden needs me. You actually think Leon can run this place without me?"

"Hmm… Actually," Leon pondered. "It might not hurt for you to go with them. Three's a stronger number than two. You might have to keep them on the level."

Sora raised an eyebrow. _Yuffie_ was supposed to keep them level headed? He decided to dismiss the remark, making a mental note to get Leon back for his snide comment.

Yuffie pursed her lips together, putting a hand on her hip as she tapped her foot uncomfortably. "There's still another issue," she said, her eyes darting briefly to a sleeping Riku's room.

Sora hesitated. "Oh… Well, uh… I'm sure we could figure something out. I doubt it'd be an problem."

She rolled her eyes. "Mhm. Right. That's what they all say."

"I'm _really _trying to understand what you guys are talking about," said Leon, turning away from the computer. "But it's not making any sense. What 'other issue'?"

"Oh, it's… not important," Sora stumbled. "Just something between Yuffie and Riku."

She looked positively infuriated.

"Between Yuffie and Riku?" Leon raised an eyebrow and shook his head, but said nothing more on the subject.

Fuming, Yuffie grabbed Sora and pulled him down to her level, whispering, "If you bring me down with you, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

He gulped as Yuffie stormed out of the room. Any threat from the ninja, whether joking or serious, was to be taken into account. He made a mental note to keep his door locked for the next several days. With his last verbal maneuver, she seemed to realize that he and Riku would do anything to keep their relationship - his heat jumped; could it actually be considered a relationship? - a secret, even if it meant bringing others down. He instantly felt guilt building; it wasn't right for him to use Yuffie as a scapegoat to cover it up, even if she had brought it up in the first place. Sora sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, their… _thing _inched closer and closer toward discovery with every passing day, every moment of negligence.

It wasn't only Yuffie's fault. The previous day they had been fooling around in Sora's room, only to be warned by the click of the doorknob to Aerith's entry. Sora had jumped up in a moment's notice, managing to separate the distance between himself and Riku by several feet in the matter of a second. She entered, lingered only for a few seconds to tell Sora about Cloud's encounter with Xeron, and left uncomfortably, shutting the door behind her. Embarrassment crept onto his cheeks again. He wasn't stupid; he knew Aerith suspected something. However, he also trusted her well enough to know that she would never tell anyone.

"Hey! Ow, Yuffie…" he heard a disjointed grumble from upstairs. Rolling his eyes, Sora followed the noise to Riku's room.

"Wake up!" she pounded him with powerful, tiny fists. "We-need-to-talk!"

"Calm down!" Sora exclaimed quietly, shutting the door behind him as he grabbed Yuffie's wrists and pulled her away from Riku.

Snapped out of the flow of her anger, Yuffie restrained herself to standing with her hands on her hips, glaring from Riku to Sora.

"I can't do this anymore!" she said in a rash whisper. "I don't keep secrets! I'm the one who always blabs, and this is huge!"

Alerted by her insistence, Riku sat up. "Yuffie, what d'you mean? You _have _to keep it a secret, for the sake of our humility."

She pursed her lips. "But because Sora had to run his mouth, Leon thinks I'm having some sordid little affair with you!"

Sora shrugged. "Is that so bad? I mean _look _at him; it's not exactly something to be embarrassed by."

"You know what? You're right," she said sarcastically. "Sora, Riku, damn… You're hot commodities. I know! Why don't we convince Cloud and Cid that I'm sleeping with _both _of you!"

"I don't think that's what he meant," Riku groaned.

Putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort, Sora tried to speak again. "Yuffie, look; I know this is hard for you keep from everyone else, but please do it for our sakes. If this got out so soon, I don't know what we'd do."

"What, are you afraid your masculinity will be threatened?" she said crossly, shying away to take a seat at the edge of Riku's bed. "Think they won't consider you real men anymore? They're your _friends. _This is Radiant Garden, not Agrabah. We're a little more progressive than that."

Sora shook his head. Perhaps it was time to admit it. "You know what? Unfortunately I do care what other people think. I'm afraid that they'll all judge us. And Riku is too. It's something we're trying to get over, but it's hard. It's taken us years just to get to this point. Can't you cut us a little slack?"

As he met her infuriated glare, her eyes softened. Her lips relaxed. Her hands dropped to her sides. She smiled slightly, glancing to Riku. "Oh. Wow. You… really love him, don't you?"

Riku nodded sheepishly, but said nothing.

She looked back to Sora. "And you reciprocate that."

"Yeah," he said quietly, meeting Riku's eyes with a slight smile.

A rare softness graced Yuffie's face. "Okay. Okay, if you're sure about this, I _guess _I can keep up the façade for a little while longer. You just have to understand how hard it is for a blabbermouth like me. Man… I wish Aerith had walked in instead!"

Sora and Riku nodded, silently making it clear that it was better not to tell Yuffie about the previous day's occurrence. If she knew that someone else almost knew, she would most certainly milk them for information and leave obvious hints for them to come to their own conclusion. Sora knew that Yuffie meant well, she was just horrible at keeping silent the things she thought should have been expressed.

He and Yuffie left Riku to his thoughts. Sora returned to his room to prepare for the day and met the others in the lower level of the keep half an hour later.

"We've been stuck in a rut lately," Leon addressed the group of six. "Besides the fact that Sora and Riku destroyed Fuzen, we haven't done anything recently. Despite seeing them less and less, Hybrids are still running rampantly through Radiant Garden. Although I think we need to become more proactive in eliminating them, based on the information I was able to dig up on their computer, I also think it's important to avoid the keyholes."

"What the hell? You losin' your mind?" Cid grumbled. "I thought sealing those keyholes was the only way for them to get to other worlds!"

Leon put a hand on his head. "It is. However, according to the information I've been able to gather, once you open a keyhole and are sucked into it, you're lead directly to either Ansem's Hybrid or Xehanort. If this is to happen, there's virtually no chance of escape."

"But we have to defeat them somehow!" exclaimed Sora desperately.

"We'll defeat them," said Cloud, his voice sure. "We're just going to have to think more outside the box on this one."

"Or hope that some… Deus Ex Machina comes to save us," Sora responded coldly.

"Deus Ex Machina, eh?" Yuffie snorted, her annoyance with Sora returning. "Looks like _somebody _listened to teacher that day!"

"You know what Yuffie? I'm getting really sick of your shit today. Just… fuck off," he flicked his hand away with disdain, storming out of the keep and slamming the door behind him. He was slightly startled with himself. He rarely swore that much, especially in the direction of a specific person.

A short time later he heard soft footsteps from behind him. He didn't have to look to know the gentle presence that stood at his side.

"Are you okay?" Aerith asked gently.

He nodded, already embarrassed by his display in the kitchen. "I know I overreacted; I'm just tired of people thinking I'm stupid. They always do."

She shook her head. "I've never thought you were stupid, Sora. When you were younger I thought you were naïve and overly brave, but never stupid. You charged into things without any preexisting notions to save your friends. That's selflessness, not stupidity."

Sora shook his head. "I _was _stupid back then, Aerith… I thought I could save my friends no matter how difficult the situation. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that good always triumphed over evil, that 'deep down, there's a light that never goes out'… And I actually _believed _it; that's the sad part."

In all the years he had known her, Sora had never seen such a solemn expression on Aerith's face. "Deep down you still believe that. I know you still have some remnant of hope that this will all turn out okay."

He laughed sadly. "When I was on my first adventure, I visited a place called Neverland. Ever hear of it?"

"Sounds familiar."

"I met this boy, he was… oh, I don't know… probably ten at the time. I helped him rescue his friend Wendy from this pirate named Captain Hook. He told me I could fly if I just believed it. How ridiculous does that sound now… being able to do something so incredibly unbelievable by sheer will? Like that would ever work in the real world. After we left, Donald told me that the people who live in Neverland don't age. They don't age; can you believe that? Nothing changes. They just remain static… forever. So here I am, moping in Hollow Bastion while a kid half my age flies around carefree without any worries or responsibilities. I sometimes wonder what would've happened if I had stayed there. I'd still be a naïve fourteen-year-old boy running around in a clown suit."

"But you didn't stay," said Aerith, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You left and you saved the worlds. You saved all of us."

Sora shook his head. "Looking forward, does it really matter? It seems like the Hybrids are taking over as it is. Kairi's gone, we're at a stalemate, and who knows how many more people we'll lose before this is over?"

"We're not going to lose anyone else."

"How can you say that?"

"Because I won't let it happen."

He sighed deeply. "That's exactly what I said about Kairi."

"You're afraid the same thing's going to happen to Riku, aren't you?"

"…Yeah."

"You care a lot about him," it was a statement, not a question.

Sora paused. "Of course; he's my best friend."

"Then you two need to stay together no matter what. If you care so much about each other, you'll fight until this is all over."

Sweat gathered on the back of his neck. _She knows… Oh God, I think she knows._ If there was one thing Sora hated, it was avoiding gigantic, room-sized elephants. However, since he couldn't bring himself to talk about the situation, he did his best to avoid its threatening feet. He could barely bring himself to accept his relationship (Oh man… relationship? Really? Could it actually be considered that?). How could he be expected to tell others?

"Uh… Sora?" he turned around slowly to the meekly approaching voice. He shivered; in her rare form of politeness, Yuffie sounded almost like Kairi.

"What's up?" he asked, his voice cold.

Aerith patted him lightly on the shoulder for support before leaving the two to sort out their differences.

She looked up at him briefly before casting her eyes to the ground. "Look, this isn't easy for me so just listen, okay? I'm sorry; I know you're not stupid. Hell, you're one of the smarter people in this operation. I've just been really uneasy about everything lately. This stalemate's really getting to me. I'm not one of those people who can just sit around doing nothing, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know," he smiled empathetically. "I know because I can't stand sitting still either. But Leon seems to think it's best to do nothing, so we're doing nothing."

Yuffie narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Who ever said we had to listen to Leon?"

"Huh?" Sora furrowed his brow. "He's kind of the leader here, isn't he?"

"Self appointed leader," Yuffie scoffed. "And quite honestly, when the so-called _authority _is acting questionably, isn't it only right for us to question him?"

"Yuffie, I'm not quite sure I like where this-"

"And thus, in questioning said authority, shouldn't we be able to act independently of his will?"

"We can't just-"

"Oh? And why not? You saved all those worlds without Leon's help, didn't you?"

"Well I-"

"He wasn't there to guide you step by step. Why should you need him now? Oh, I have the perfect idea!"

The girl's strong hand grabbed Sora's wrist and dragged him back into the house and past a baffled Cloud and Cid, who still stood in the kitchen. She forced him up the stairs and into Riku's room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Riku, more amused than annoyed by their intrusion.

"Sora and I are going to try to get to the bottom of this on our own. What do you say?"

Riku smiled. "Sounds like a great idea."

Sora groaned. "You _would _take her side. Look, I just don't think it's a good idea to go behind Leon's back."

"Aw, don't think of it as going behind his back!" Yuffie encouraged. "We're just being… progressive. Besides, you wouldn't leave Riku and me to fend for ourselves, would you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yuffie, please. I know perfectly well the two of you _can _fend for yourselves."

Riku chuckled, inching close to Sora. He mumbled into Sora's ear, lips grazing the lobe. "C'mon… You know you want to…"

That dirty, rotten, cheating bastard. It was just like Riku to swindle his way into getting what he wanted. Sora smirked. Two could play at this game.

"Really, Riku, really? You're gonna pull this with Yuffie in the room?"

The girl giggled, taking a seat on Riku's bed. "Trust me, guys; I don't mind at all. Got any popcorn? Oh, don't let me be a distraction. Just act like I'm not here."

Sora scowled. He was _not _doing this with Yuffie in the room. "Fine. Fine, let's go."

Yuffie and Riku exchanged a high five, muttering "mission accomplished" as they exited the room. Sora chose to ignore the small celebration.

* * *

Less than an hour later, the newly formed alliance found themselves trudging up the side of a secluded mountain. It didn't surprise Sora that Yuffie had decided to take the lead on their mission. Although Riku had agreed to partake, and Sora more reluctantly, she was the most adamant about discovering her "hunch". What that hunch was, Riku could only guess.

"So where exactly are we going?" he asked. "I'd at least like to be briefed before we jump into something."

"I got a look at that computer Leon's been obsessing over," she grinned. "Apparently, there's a hideout that even Hybrids are having trouble infiltrating."

"Wait, what?" Sora asked skeptically. "So we're after Nobodies and Heartless here?"

"Option number two," she said happily. "And I'm not entirely sure fighting will be necessary."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Sora exclaimed.

"Yuffie, what're you talking about?" Riku pressed. She must have completely lost her mind if she thought they were actually going to form an alliance with Heartless. "Look; I know the power of the Heartless. They're experts at manipulation. If you're not careful, they'll bind you into your web, make you believe their twisted reality. There's no way we can side with them, even if we do have a common enemy."

She stopped in her tracks and turned to face them. "I don't want to side with the Heartless. I have no intention of doing so. I just…"

"What is it?" asked Riku, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I want to get Reno back."

Sora frowned, his eyes saddening. "Yuffie, I know he was your friend, but you have to understand. Once someone's a Heartless, it's almost impossible to bring them back."

She met his gaze, tears gathering in desperate eyes. "But… but Kairi brought you back. I thought you of all people would understand."

Biting his lip, Sora tried to explain. "How are we even going to find him? Leon said he turned into a Shadow. Any one of us could've accidentally-"

"We didn't," she said with resolve. "Hybrids have tabs on all the strong Heartless in Hollow Bastion. It helps strengthen their resolve. Turns out they have a profile for Reno's Heartless."

"Does Leon know about this?" asked Riku.

"Of course," Yuffie nodded. "But you see, Leon and Reno had a falling out right before he was turned into a Heartless. Didn't think Leon was handling the situation properly. Whatever rage Reno has might be directed at him if he tries to help. And I knew if we told the others they would insist on telling Leon, who would of course have to come with us. It's better this way; trust me."

"Yuffie, if this ends badly-"

"It won't," she said, her voice full of determination.

Dreading the commencement of their trek, Riku and Sora followed Yuffie up the winding trail. After over an hour of climbing the steep slope, they came to an opening with a strong steel door. Yuffie gripped the handle and pulled strongly, but it refused to budge. "Must be locked or something."

"Nah, there's a code," Sora stepped up to the entrance. Riku observed it more closely. Carved into the sleek metal were a series of squares that lit up as Sora placed his fingers on them. "Hollow Bastion had a million of these stupid puzzles the first time I was here. See, all you've gotta do is find the right pattern… No, that's not it… Wait… Aha!"

Sora grinned as the door slid open without a sound.

"Nice," Riku clapped him on the back.

"What can I say?" he shrugged in feigned arrogance.

"Shh! Weapons out!" Yuffie whispered loudly, pulling out her shuriken as Riku and Sora called their Keyblades.

Riku gaped at the sight that unfolded before his eyes. The cave was illuminated by bright red chandeliers, making the crimson rugs below look like blood-strewn rags. Upon the walls were carved intricate Heartless emblems, each glowering evilly at the intruders.

"They've really taken the evil factor up a notch, haven't they?" whispered Riku, his voice echoing more than he intended.

"Yeah, well, being the only strong Heatless in a Hybrid town gets a little boring, you know? Not a lot of stuff to do when you're stuck hiding out all day."

Riku shifted uneasily, raising Way to Dawn in defense as he braced himself. The voice had boomed through the corridor from an unknown source, its dark, amused tone catching him off guard. He jumped backward in surprise as a shadowed figure rushed out in front of them, obstructing their path. The thin figure glared at them with red pupils, long black hair tied behind his head. He smirked at the three, offering a sarcastic wave as a greeting.

"Yuffie… Well well, haven't you grown up? It's been so long… And tell me, who are your new sidekicks?"

Riku cringed. He was _not _a sidekick.

She took a deep breath, speaking nervously. "Reno, it's you. You look different, you sound different, but I know it's you."

"Yuffie, be careful," Sora warned. "I know he's your friend, but-"

"Then why would she need to be careful?" asked Reno, moving close to Yuffie. He put a hand on her shoulder. "How long's it been? It's so easy to lose track of time when you're a recluse."

Yuffie pursed her lips. "Seven years."

"Seven years? Geeze, I've gotta get out more. I spent some time rampaging through the worlds in Maleficent's army out of boredom, but I haven't really done much in awhile."

"Maleficent's army?" Yuffie said quietly. "Out of boredom?"

"Yuffie, he's a Heartless," Riku reminded her. "He's not the person he used to be."

She seemed not to have registered Riku's plea. "Listen Reno; we all miss you. You're lonely here. Won't you come back with us?"

He frowned. "Is that idiot Squall still running things?"

Yuffie gulped. "Yeah, he is."

"Are you all insane?" Reno's Heartless lost his cool demeanor. "That man is the reason our world was almost destroyed! He's the reason the others are dead!"

A glint of fear lit Yuffie's eyes for the first time since their encounter. "We all miscalculated. You can't blame Squall for a mistake that was all of our faults."

"He said he checked it but he didn't!" Reno exclaimed. "He rushed into the thing and look what happened! Here I thought you were coming to join me… guess I was wrong. You should leave, Yuffie."

"I'm not going anywhere until you agree to rejoin us."

"Yuffie, leave before I do something I'll regret if I ever regain my heart."

"Then let me help you!" she begged.

"It's too late! The Darkness has consumed me!"

"No! I'm not leaving!"

Reno's Heartless looked almost regretful. He turned around quickly, lunging toward Yuffie, clenching a fist around her neck and hoisting her into the air. "Then you'll have to die."

"No!" screamed Sora and Riku in unison, jumping at Reno and hitting him with their Keyblades. He fell backward, dropping Yuffie before regaining his footing. She braced herself with her shuriken and attacked, hitting him strongly in the midsection.

The Heartless raised his hands above his head, creating a strong ball of force that Riku immediately recognized as Dark magic. He swung it around his body, throwing powerful bullets of energy at the three. Riku tried to defend them with Dark Aura, but it was impossible to stay by both Sora and Yuffie. He couldn't keep the shield up for long periods of time, and found himself weakening from the heavy hitting pellets. Riku bounded after Reno's Heartless, blocking his attacks with Way to Dawn. He struck the man several times before having to jump back, the Darkness of Reno's attacks weakening him. Sora jumped at him next, Ultima shredding into him as the Heartless writhed in pain, falling onto his hands and knees. As Sora swung his Keyblade again, Reno emitted a rumbling growl, a burst of energy consuming the cavern and knocking his three opponents from their feet.

A horrible pain struck Riku, running through his fingertips, up his arms, spreading through his entire body. His back slammed against the wall. It was the worst pain he had ever felt, transcending even that of Xehanort's possession. He opened bleary lids, trying to reach for a potion with a weakened hand. Sora and Yuffie lay next to him, their bodies mangled from the Dark attack. He watched as Sora raised his Keyblade with aching muscles, healing the three with barely a whisper of the word.

Riku felt the pain subside from his body, leaving his limbs weak and flimsy. He sat slowly, supporting himself with a still aching hand as Sora and Yuffie tried to do the same. Remembering her mission, Yuffie pulled herself to her feet and stumbled over to the fallen Heartless.

"Reno!" she yelled, her voice rasping.

Riku and Sora lifted themselves off the ground and staggered toward the two. They watched from a distance as Yuffie scooped the man's limp body into her arms, supporting his head with a shaking palm.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I k… I killed…"

She grew still as a light encircled the Heartless. Riku watched in amazement as his features changed, his hair turned from black to a vibrant red, his face softening. Yuffie gasped as his eyes blinked open to reveal green irises.

"Y… Yuffie?" a higher, lighter voice than his Heartless had possessed graced their ears.

"It's you," she whispered. "It's really you this time."

Riku and Sora let Yuffie and her reunited friend return to the keep, neither wanting to butt in on what they were sure would be an emotional homecoming. After listening to Reno's long apology and thanks, along with Yuffie's insistence that they return, Sora and Riku explained that someone needed to watch the house overnight. With Reno having recently reacquired his heart, they knew that the others had a lot of catching up to do.

"They didn't seem too sad to be rid of us," smirked Riku as Yuffie and Reno left their sight.

"Nah," Sora waved a hand in disdain. "I think leaving us be was just Yuffie's weird form of thanks. She usually never leaves us alone."

He relaxed as Sora slid his hand into his, locking their fingers together. Riku squeezed it tightly in comfort. As much as he loved this new feeling, sometimes he needed to reassure himself that it was real, that he hadn't invented it in some obscure illusion or dream. Sora seemed to sense this and squeezed his hand back, wrapping his thumb around Riku's.

"So that was weird, right?" laughed Sora. "The whole Reno thing, I mean."

"Yeah, I'm still surprised it worked as well as it did," said Riku. "I half expected one of us to accidentally kill him. And for awhile there I thought _we _were goners."

"A couple seconds longer and we would've been," Sora frowned, dropping Riku's hand as they entered town.

"Without Curaga we'd all be dead several times over," admitted Riku as they neared the house, unlocking the door and letting them in.

"You should really learn to use it," suggested Sora as he walked over to the refrigerator, taking out two sandwiches and throwing one to Riku. "I know you've got really good potions, but there's nothing like Curaga when you're in a bind."

"You know I'm no good when it comes to magic," Riku reminded him as he tore into the sandwich. "Kairi caught on somewhat, but for some reason I can barely master a simple fire spell."

"Well, I had a better teacher than the two of you did," Sora admitted. "I can apply what I've learned, but I'm not very good at teaching it. It still couldn't hurt to try again."

Riku sighed. "Why do I see this ending badly?"

"It probably will," Sora snickered. "But it doesn't mean we can't attempt it."

"Right, we'll do that first thing tomorrow," nodded Riku, his tone sarcastic as he finished his sandwich and headed upstairs. He walked to the bathroom and took a shower, washing away the grime that had accumulated during their trek and battle. He walked to his room and dressed, drying his hair with a towel and reveling in the feeling of cleanliness. Finally relaxed after the hectic day, Riku walked to his window and stared down at the village below. Its half-timbered structures basked in the glow of the falling sun, their radiance glimmering onto the cold pewter cobblestone below. Riku rested his arms on the pane and relaxed, thinking of nothing but the scene below.

His heartbeat quickened as footsteps approached. Strong arms wrapped around his waist; a hand pressed against his chest and gripped his shirt as a face burrowed into his hair, inhaling deeply. Riku closed his eyes, relaxing into the hug, twisting around to kiss the lips of his embracer. He lifted his hand, sifting it through Sora's spiky hair. Opening his lids, he met Sora's saddened eyes.

"What's wrong?" Riku asked, outlining Sora's jaw with his fingertips.

"It's nothing," Sora's mouth turned up slightly. "I'm just glad you're here. Earlier in the cave… You were in bad shape. I was just afraid-"

Riku clapped his hand over Sora's mouth, chuckling to himself as Sora struggled to talk. "You need to stop worrying about me, okay? I've been through a lot; hell, we both have. A little thing like _that _isn't going to kill me."

Sora pulled the hand from his mouth, clenching Riku's wrist. "I know it's ridiculous, but I-"

His words were silenced as thirsty lips pressed against his own, smothering his speech with each deepening kiss. Riku pulled away slightly, breathlessly whispering. "You were saying?"

"I don't really care right now."

Yearning hands traveled up Riku's chest, pushing him solidly against the window. He shivered as Sora's lips brushed his neck, the smell of morning shampoo enticing his senses. He decided to give in… for the moment at least. Sora's teeth nibbled at his collar, his tongue traveling to the nape of his neck. Riku groaned as the sensation flowed through his body.

"How do you do that?" his whispered voice rasped as Sora lifted his head to meet his eyes once again.

"Skill, I guess," he smiled, pressing his lips into Riku's once more. Riku accepted it, sliding his tongue against Sora's mouth. With a murmur of desire he allowed Riku's tongue to mingle with his own. Riku pushed them away from the window, slowly gaining control as they stumbled toward the bed.

Sora's legs struck it unexpectedly and buckled from underneath him, sending the two tumbling onto the bed. Sora fell with an "oof", the sound stifled by Riku's tripped figure.

"Are you okay?" asked a laughing Riku as he tried to get up.

"Of course I'm okay… But I don't know where you think _you're _going," Sora sat up abruptly, pulling Riku onto his back. The younger man jumped forward with his hands on either side of Riku's shoulders, bending his head down to kiss him again. Riku met him halfway, bracing himself on his elbows as he pushed up into a seated position. Fingers tugged at his shirt, traveling to the bottom hem before it was pulled upward and over his head. He smiled slightly at Sora's usual gape before hungrily grappling the other's shirt, discarding it onto the floor without a second thought. Riku was surprised to find himself still mesmerized by the sight. Despite living on an island, until they had started doing… whatever it is they were doing… he hadn't seen Sora without his shirt off in several years. He eyed the toned chest and ripped abdomen, unable to resist. Riku pushed him back onto the mattress, straddling Sora's hips and leaning down, kissing his neck, his chest, running his tongue over a pec. Sora moaned as Riku's tongue grazed a pert nipple. Riku smiled inwardly, sucking at it, moving his tongue in slow circles. Sora gasped, his arms slipping from Riku's back, along his sides and to his belt buckle, fingers loosening the hold. Caught off guard, Riku stopped his rampage momentarily. Sora took the opportunity to wrestle Riku onto his back, grabbing his pants and sliding them down his legs.

"You cheating bastard!" Riku joked, unfastening the button on Sora's pants as the Keyblade Master pulled him into strong arms, meeting his lips once again.

Riku kissed back slowly, his mood sobering he tugged at Sora's zipper. Sora broke the embrace, gulping as he looked into his friend's aqua eyes.

Sensing the same apprehension and anticipation in Sora that he felt, Riku took a deep breath, asking the question on both of their minds. "Sora, how far do you want to take this?"

He smiled, his expression confident as he held Riku's hand in his. "I'm ready… if you are."

Riku smiled back, his heart soaring as he leaned up to kiss Sora again, consumed only by the love and desire he had for his friend. His fear melted away in the embrace, forgetting every notion but the bond they shared, one he knew would never be broken again.

* * *

Yay! That was a pretty fun chapter to write. Sorry I don't update as often as I used to, but I've been bogged down lately and unfortunately haven't had as much time on my hands. Hopefully the length of the chapter makes up for that? I'm _really _excited to get started on Fourteen; I've had it mapped out in my head since the beginning. Major turning point. Should prove to be a fun time.

Once again, thank you for the reviews; they always make my day!

Oh, and Happy Re: Chain of Memories Release Day! I'm going out to get it shortly. I hope you have as much fun playing it as I'm sure I will!


	14. Return

Aah, I haven't updated in over a month! I'm SUCH a slacker and I'm SO sorry!

**DISCLAIMER: **If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I wouldn't exactly be writing fanfiction for it, would I?

* * *

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: RETURN

He was awoken gently out of a sound sleep, the body next to him stirring slightly, a strong arm wrapping around his waist. Sora sighed into the embrace, becoming more aware of his surroundings as another's yawn flushed across his face. He opened heavy lids, his eyes slowly adjusting to the morning light. Riku's eyes were fully open, staring back at him almost dreamily with a slight smirk on his face. Sora smiled back, unable to express the emotions he felt.

"Morning," he managed, his voice clouded in sleep. It wasn't articulate, but it was progress. He just couldn't bring himself to say the things to Riku that he had to Kairi. Phrases like "you're beautiful" and sweet endearments seemed reserved for his feelings toward women. Try as he may to express these ideas, Sora simply couldn't voice them. Ignoring the words he tried to conjure, Sora lifted his hand, running it along Riku's cheek and into his tousled hair.

"Morning," Riku whispered back, his cheeks flushing slightly at Sora's touch.

His voice caught in his throat. He was just so inexplicably happy, too dumbfounded by the previous night to express what he felt.

"So your hair's _not _perfect in the morning, eh?" Well, it was _something _to say. Sora rubbed Riku's head rapidly, messing up his already untidy hair.

"Hey, knock it off," Riku swatted his hand away playfully.

"Hmm… Not gonna happen," Sora laughed, balling his hand into a fist and rubbing the top of Riku's head with his knuckles.

"Sora, you're completely ruining the moment!" Riku chuckled, grabbing Sora's wrist.

"I tend to do that, don't I?" Sora narrowed his eyes with a smirk, inching his face close to Riku's.

He wrinkled his nose slightly, flinching back just enough that it was noticeable. "Ugh, I might have messed up hair in the morning, but your breath is _horrible_!"

"Get used to it; you're stuck with me."

Sora slid to the edge of the bed, placing his legs over the edge of it as he stood. He found his boxers on the floor and slipped them on.

"Hey, are mine down there?" asked Riku.

"Yep."

"Can I have them?"

Sora put a hand on his chin in false pensiveness. "Hmm… Nope." He bent down and picked them up, waving them in Riku's face and jumping away faster than his hand could move.

Riku tried to keep a serious expression, but Sora could see a smile cracking in the corners of his mouth.

"You'll have to come and get them," he taunted again.

"You're gonna regret it if I have to get up," Riku warned, grabbing the sheet and wrapping it snugly around his waist as he stood. "Sora, seriously. Give them here."

He snickered. Riku had just asked him, of all people, to be serious about something like this. "You want them? You're gonna have to pay…"

Riku looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought. "Pay, huh? I _might _be willing to make some kind of deal. What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Come here and I'll show you," Sora said seductively, beckoning Riku forward.

He hesitated. "I'm not so sure about this, Mr. Morning Breath."

Sora shrugged, scanning Riku slowly. "Fine, I guess you can prance around in something that looks uncannily similar to a skirt for the next couple hours if you want."

Smiling smugly, Sora waited as Riku inched forward, closing the gap between them. He put his hands on Sora's hips, pulling their bodies together as he pressed his lips to Sora's jaw. "I'm not getting anywhere near your mouth," he mumbled.

"Hmm… If you want your boxers back you are," Sora tilted back his head as Riku's lips moved along his neck, nibbling gently. Noticing Sora's obvious distraction, he grabbed for the boxers with a less coordinated left hand, but Sora pulled them away.

"Ha! Like I wasn't expecting _that_," Sora grinned. "You act like I'm asking for a lot here."

"You act like I don't mind losing," Riku retorted as Sora ran a hand down his back, fingers toying with the loose sheet at his waist.

He raised an eyebrow, looking victorious. "Why does everything have to be a competition with you? I was just trying to have a little fun."

"That's total bullshit," Riku accused, absentmindedly wrapping his finger around one of Sora's erratic spikes. "You started this and you know it. Why did you, anyway?"

"Kiss me and I'll tell you."

"No."

He lingered close to Riku, their lips so close that the casual observer would have mistaken Sora's friendly taunt for a kiss. "C'mon, Riku… What, afraid to kiss your own boyfr-"

The last word was smothered with Riku's lips, pressing hard against his own. They moved hungrily, yearning, thirsting, aching for Sora. He matched it with a satisfying vigor, their tongues brushing against each other as they broke apart.

Sora tried to compose himself as Riku looked back at him, lust lingering heavily in his eyes.

"I'll be taking back my boxers now," he smiled as Sora reluctantly handed them to him.

"Fine, but I still won," Sora smiled.

"Ha! That's what you think."

He pushed Riku away in jest, walking across the room and opening the door. He stopped momentarily, for the first time digesting just how much his life had changed the night before. Now he couldn't go back; there was some incomprehensible force binding him and Riku together that somehow hadn't existed before. He had even slipped up and almost called Riku his boyfriend. Sora had to admit to himself that that was the correct term, even if the blunder had been accidental. Now that he reflected upon it, Riku's kiss was almost certainly to smother the word. He wondered why saying it was so much more difficult than acting on it.

"The others could be back at any time," said Sora, turning around. Riku was in his boxers now. "I'd better go take a shower."

"For God's sake, do me a favor and brush your damn teeth."

Sora smirked, turning away and heading down the hallway.

"Hey Sora?"

He turned back. "Yeah?"

"Why'd you pull that trick in the first place?"

"Oh, that?" he grinned sheepishly. "That was because there's nothing I hate more than an awkward morning after."

* * *

Kairi smiled wider than she had dared to in months. There in front of her stood the man for whom she had been searching, dreaming about every night. She had wrapped her arms around pillows in some distant hope that in the middle of the night, groggy and disoriented, she would think, if only for a fleeting moment, that it was Sora. Yet now his bright blue eyes stared down at her, a tear was blinked from an overflowing lid. A loving, relieved smile lit his face. He embraced her, bent his head toward hers, and placed the most perfect kiss upon her soft lips.

"Kairi! Anybody home? Did you hear anything I just said?"

She snapped back to reality as Rinoa waved a hand in front of her face. "S-sorry; that's just the best news I've heard in a really long time. I guess I got lost in my own world."

"Daydreaming about Sora again," she smiled knowingly. "You know, in a few short minutes that won't be a dream anymore."

Kairi felt as though her heart were going to burst with happiness. "He wants us to go this soon?"

"What's the point in waiting?" Rinoa said logically. "I just hope it works."

"If it doesn't?"

Rinoa pursed her lips. "I expect something like your limbo situation would happen again."

Kairi gulped as though attempting to swallow her fear. "I… I'm going regardless. I have to."

"As do Quistis and I," Rinoa nodded. "Zack and Zell have decided to stay here; we need some kind of force to keep the Hybrids on Gaia at bay."

They continued walking down the path to Bugenhagen's lab in silence. Kairi knew Rinoa was thinking about Squall. Sure, she hadn't seen Sora in over half a year, but Rinoa had been separated from Squall for seven. Kairi could see in her eyes the fearless hope she held, almost certain that their reunion was mere minutes away.

Rinoa held her breath as they reached Bugenhagen's door. She lifted her hand to the knob and opened it slowly, smiling in greeting to the elderly man. Quistis, Zell, and Zack were already there, all listening intently to the knowledgeable scientist.

"Rinoa, Kairi, good of you to join us," he clapped his hands together. "I was just explaining the process to everyone. Is there anything the two of you wish to know?"

Oh, there were a lot of things Kairi wished to know. She was just too afraid of the outcome to ask.

"What are the chances of this thing malfunctioning?" asked Rinoa.

"_Thanks a lot, Rinoa," _Kairi thought sarcastically.

Bugenhagen scratched his chin. "I would say that there's less than a one percent chance of anything going wrong."

"_He's just saying that," _Kairi could feel her palms begin to sweat. _"It probably has an eighty percent chance of blowing up." _Yeah, so much for staying calm.

"See, that's reassuring," said Rinoa, patting Kairi on the back. "Everything's going to be fine; I promise."

"I hate to rush you, but I'd like to do this as soon as possible," Bugenhagen pressed. "I know it will be difficult, being separated until the Hybrids are taken care of… but at least you'll know everyone's okay."

Kairi directed her attention to an elongated horseshoe-shaped doorway in the middle of the room. She watched as Bugenhagen typed on giant computer, calculating things Kairi could only imagine. Suddenly the doorway's empty space began to spin, filling with a vaporous, whirling substance. Kairi jumped back in surprise. Zack put a hand on her back to steady her nerves.

"It's okay. That's supposed to happen," he chuckled slightly.

"I can only keep it open for a couple minutes, so I suggest you say your goodbyes," said Bugenhagen.

Kairi smiled, turning to Zack and hugging him. "See you soon."

"You too. Be careful out there."

She waited for Quistis to finish her goodbye with Zell, and moved to hug him as well. "It's been fun. You'd better keep things under control here, got it?"

"Always the responsible one," he smirked. "Have fun."

Kairi clenched her fists together as she watched Rinoa give a final wave, disappearing as she walked through the portal. Quistis walked through without giving a final goodbye, fading just as her predecessor had. Walking slowly toward the gateway, Kairi breathed deeply, quelling her fears as she stepped into oblivion, the pathway pulling her toward its destination. She felt the once familiar feeling of being sucked through a vacuum, its speed so great she feared that it alone would cause her demise. She tried to hold her breath but there was no air… no anything. She panicked. What if Bugenhagen had done something wrong? What if she were stuck in the same realm of nothingness again? What if-

Her feet slammed down against heavy rock, her knees scraping the gravely surface. "Ow!" she yelped, finding her voice once more. Standing quickly, Kairi observed her surroundings. She had fallen in the middle of the mountains. Of course. As far away from town as possible.

"Quistis? Rinoa?" she called, looking around for her friends. Perhaps they had fallen in a different part of Radiant Garden. Who knew exactly how precise Bugenhagen's machine was? She resolved to head back to the house, having decided on it for a meeting place before leaving Gaia. Her heart pounded again. Perhaps Sora and Riku would be there as well. This motivated Kairi further as she climbed through the jagged cliffs, eventually stumbling onto a wide path.

"Well, this looks vaguely familiar," she said to herself, deciding to take the trail to the left.

She continued down the path, Adamant-entwined Keyblade in hand. After her last bout with a Hybrid she certainly wasn't taking any chances. Kairi walked down path after mundane path, not encountering so much as a Shadow on her way. Although the trip was uneventful, she considered herself lucky. The others had obviously quelled the resisting force in her absence.

Her breath caught in her throat as the sound of a struggle as two fighting male voices sounded through the winding cliffs. Kairi held her breath, inching toward the sound. It grew nearer and nearer as her fingers gripped the edge of the cliff. She cautiously peeked around the obscuring rock, her heart bursting with happiness at what she saw.

"Sora. Riku," she mouthed their names.

They were wrestling like old times, Riku laying on top of Sora, his hands pinning his wrists to the ground.

"You… bastard!" Sora said, flipping himself quickly to the side and slithering out of Riku's hold. He stood on his knees, tackling Riku to the ground.

"Onetwothreepinned!" Sora yelled in one breath as Riku wrestled him off.

"Cheater!"

Kairi smiled, restraining herself from running out and tackling both of them with hugs. For now she was content to watch them, to know that they were okay in her absence. She sighed quietly. Sora was healing; he was getting along without her. Kairi was glad she had told him to move on. But now he wouldn't have to. In a few short moments she would reveal herself to him and never let him go again. Just… at a slightly more opportune moment when he wasn't sparring with his other best friend.

"Argh… Uncle!" Sora admitted defeat as Riku twisted his arm behind his back. Kairi had to stop herself from laughing.

"What? Did Sora just _lose_?" Riku teased, letting him up. "I'm astonished!"

"I should've won," Sora defended. "If you hadn't cheated again-"

"_I _cheated? That definitely wasn't three seconds!"

"You're one to talk," he grinned. "What about when you tried to take your boxers back?"

"That's different!"

Kairi raised an eyebrow, stifling a laugh with her hand. Sometimes she just didn't want to know with those boys.

Sora sighed. "You know, this is getting kind of old. I think we should come to an agreement. Like a truce or something."

Riku shrugged. "Like: 'we're both dirty, rotten, cheating scumbags'?"

"Works for me," Sora inched forward, taking Riku's hands in his.

Okay, now this was getting weird. Surely what Kairi had told Sora hadn't transferred onto Riku… No; that was ludicrous. They were just really close friends; they always had been. Still Kairi hesitated from revealing her position, her slight hunch keeping her glued behind the cliff.

Riku opened his mouth, taking in a breath as though he hesitated to speak. "Uh… Listen, I've been meaning to ask you all day. You were really down this morning; what's wrong?"

Sora cast his eyes down, smiling sadly. "I was thinking about Kairi. Sometimes it's okay. Other times it's not. This morning… it wasn't."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine now," he said it so quietly Kairi had to strain to hear. "When I miss Kairi I think about what you and I have and, well, it doesn't make the pain go away completely; I don't think it's supposed to, but it reminds me of this." He took Riku's right hand between both of his.

Riku smiled. "You don't know how much that means to me."

Kairi gulped; her paranoid suspicion looked less ridiculous now. Her crestfallen eyes watched as Sora and Riku leaned their heads together, lips meeting in a sensual, familiar kiss. Her heart raced, a heavy lump formed in her stomach as she gasped silently for breath, unable to watch any longer. She tore off in the opposite direction, running as far away as her feet would carry her. She leaped off the path, jumping over boulders and fissures until finally her exhausted limbs would no longer support her plight. She collapsed at the base of a small, dead tree, resting her back against its knotted trunk. She curled her knees to her gasping chest, tired lungs begging for air. Her body shivered; her limbs quaked.

Sora and Riku were together. It was more than that; Kairi knew. They were in love. So blatantly and undeniably in love. It certainly wasn't the fleeting love often accompanied by infatuation; this was much deeper and more meaningful. This was the kind of love she and Sora shared. She wondered defensively if it was even stronger. With Riku in the picture, she couldn't just tear them apart. Sora thought she was dead, and maybe it was best that way.

Sora thought she was dead.

Kairi felt a painful lump rise from her chest, gathering in her throat as her eyes filled with water. With a forlorn wail she let them fall as she rocked back and forth against the frail tree. She shook with an emotion that wasn't saturated with anger, jealousy, or yearning. It was pure sadness.

A gentle hand graced her shoulder.

"Sor-" she started, wiping the tears from her startled eyes as she looked up at her comforter. Her eyes ran up the figure, observing a simple white dress, calm blue eyes, and blonde hair. "N…Naminé?"

"It's okay to cry, Kairi," she whispered soothingly, taking a seat next to the grieving girl.

"How are you… here?" she asked, her voice stuffed.

"When you were stabbed we were separated again," she explained. "It did something to drive our beings apart… Or lack thereof; I don't really understand it… That's not important right now. What's important is helping you. It couldn't have been easy to see-"

"Please don't say it," Kairi begged.

"Okay," agreed Naminé. "But whether I say it or not makes no difference. It still exists."

She sighed, every ounce of hope absent from her once optimistic personality. "Naminé, what am I supposed to do? I almost wish I hadn't told him to move on, but I thought I was dying. Of course I'd want him to find someone else if that were the case. It's just… I especially didn't expect it to be Riku."

Naminé frowned. "I could've guessed."

Kairi stopped crying for a moment. "How?"

"You weren't there when I was putting Sora's memories back together. Back at the beginning, before he took on the form of Xehanort's Heartless… Riku would stand in front of Sora's pod and just look at him, watching him sleep," she drew a breath, pausing. "Usually he was silent, but sometimes, when he thought no one was listening, he would talk to him. He just looked so regretful, like it was somehow all his fault. I guess in a roundabout way it kind of was, but I knew he wouldn't stop blaming himself until everything was right with Sora."

"What kinds of things did he say?" Kairi asked, apprehensive of Naminé's response.

The Nobody frowned. "Just little things like 'We'll fix this, Sora', or 'I'm so sorry; I'll make it up to you'. Once, though, I thought I caught an 'I love you'. I guess I'll never be quite sure what I heard."

Kairi blinked, letting heavy tears stream down her face. "What about Sora? You don't think he… for as long, do you?"

"I can't say for sure," Namine closed her eyes. "But if I had to make an educated guess, I'd say these feelings have been brewing for quite some time."

"Our reunion," Kairi thumped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "How could I have been so stupid? Back in The World That Never Was, when the three of us were finally reunited, Sora gave me kind of an awkward hug and said he was glad to see me. When he found out Riku was there he fell to his knees and actually _cried_!"

Naminé rubbed her back in sympathy. "I don't think it meant Sora liked Riku _more _than you. I mean, up until a short time before that you were safe on the island, weren't you? He didn't know anything at all about Riku; he hadn't heard anything from him in well over a year."

"Still, I should've suspected it back then."

"Probably," Naminé admitted.

They sat in silence for several minutes, Naminé comforting Kairi as she cried, going from the extremes of silent weeps to loud, unbridled sobs. Kairi was thankful for Naminé's presence, taking solace in the small amount of comfort she offered. After she had calmed down enough to speak again, Kairi cleared her throat, her voice raspy.

"Naminé, I want you to erase me from their memories."

The girl looked completely taken aback. "I won't do that. I can't."

"I know you have the capabilities," Kairi begged. "Please, I know you can."

Naminé bit her lower lip, looking uneasy. "No… I refuse. You're too important to Sora and Riku."

"But I'm going to need to help them," Kairi argued. "If they find out I'm alive it'll tear them apart. No matter what happens we'll all be irreparably hurt. Right now Riku and Sora are happy together. I couldn't possibly come back into the picture and ruin it for them."

She was astounded to see tears well up in Naminé's eyes. Funny, she thought Nobodies didn't have emotions. "You're too caring of a person for your own good, Kairi. You're willing to put yourself through a world of torment so that they can be happy."

She smiled sadly. "They're my boys; I have to. Riku put himself on the sidelines for years when I was with Sora. Now it's my turn. You may as well make him forget."

Naminé glared determinedly at Kairi. "No, I won't do it. I've never been as opposed to anything in my life. You want to hide from them, fine. But there's no way _I'm _helping you."

Kairi cast her eyes downward, deciding to use her final option. "Then delete my existence from the memories of Quistis and Rinoa. Make them think they got here on their own accord. I just can't have them telling the others I'm alive."

The other girl seemed to struggle with herself, twiddling her fingers together as she thought. After an extended period of silence, Kairi wondered if she'd even heard her at all. "Fine, Kairi. I'll delete you from Quistis and Rinoa's memories, but no one else's, you understand? You're too important to Sora and Riku."

She flung her arms around Naminé in gratefulness. "Oh! Thank you so much!"

The Nobody looked bitterly at Kairi. "The truth always comes out at the end anyway."

Kairi sighed. She hated to admit it, but Naminé was right. "Well, now that that's settled…"

She picked herself up onto shaking legs, still weak from her breakdown. She lifted an arm to her face and wiped the remaining tears away. Sitting and doing nothing certainly wasn't helping the situation. Dusting off her soiled skirt, Kairi beckoned Naminé forward. "C'mon; this'll never do. I need a disguise."

"Kairi, don't you think you're taking this-"

"Ahem."

The two young women turned their heads toward the voice, but no one could be seen. Out of caution, Kairi called her Keyblade and raised it defensively as a tall woman with dark brown hair and soft eyes jumped out from behind a rock. Kairi eyed her suspiciously; her black shorts, shirt, and cape looked suspiciously like something a Hybrid would wear.

"Whoa, no need to be so defensive," she spoke. "I'm on your side."

Kairi's glare softened, but she didn't lower her weapon. "Prove it."

The woman shrugged. "I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm Cloud's friend, Tifa."

The Keyblade wielder stared at her in shock, calling away the weapon as Tifa greeted her with a nervous smile. "Um… Nice to meet you?"

She seemed to disregard Kairi's unintentional rudeness. "You too, Kairi and Naminé."

Naminé narrowed her eyes. "How do you know our names?"

Tifa smirked cleverly. "I know even more about what goes on here than you do. I just choose to stay out of it. Shall we take a walk?"

Kairi nodded, her mind absent. Why had Tifa decided to reveal herself to her now, just minutes after her being had been decimated?

"How do you know so much?"

"I keep a close watch on Radiant Garden and help in any way I can. As an outsider, I know more about what's going on than anyone in the actual operation. I know Leon's going about finding Hybrids in all the wrong ways. I knew where Reno's Heartless lived. I knew about the keep, the cave… I know that Cloud and Aerith fight about his problems all the time. I know that, for all her bravado, Yuffie's being torn apart inside. I know how much Sora and Riku grieved after your supposed death, but I also know how happy they are together, and how much it's tearing you apart."

Kairi cocked an eyebrow. So this Tifa was a stalker… "If you know all this, why approach me? Why now?"

Tifa frowned, but her voice was empathetic. "Because right now you feel like an outcast. You both do. I've been living as one for the past four years. I can help you, Kairi."

Kairi smiled outwardly, but she was nervous nonetheless. She'd be damned if this was going to turn into a lonely-hearts club. She wouldn't say it aloud, but she thought the fact that Tifa had been living like a hermit for the past four years was pathetic. Her stomach knotted like iron. Was she to suffer a similar fate, living on the sidelines while her friends went around saving the worlds, not to have even the slightest amount of contact with them but suffering by forcing herself to see them every day? Perhaps she shouldn't judge Tifa so unfairly. Kairi didn't know her story, and by the looks of it, she was heading down a similar path.

"Well, here we are, my, uh… more than humble abode," Tifa smiled shyly, pointing to a hole in the side of a cliff. "It looks better on the inside, trust me."

She lead Kairi and Naminé through the narrow fissure. To her surprise, it lead to a small foyer with a sturdy wooden door. Tifa put the key in the lock and opened it, revealing a small but spacious room that doubled as a kitchen and living room. There were two doors on the other side of the room, leading presumably to a bedroom and a bathroom.

"It's small, but it works," shrugged Tifa. "Take a seat. Would you like anything to drink? Looks like you dehydrated yourself from crying so much."

Kairi laughed bitterly, taking a seat next to Naminé at the kitchen table. Tifa poured them each a glass of water and took a seat across from them.

"Tifa, can I ask you something that might be of a sensitive topic?" Naminé questioned meekly. Kairi was glad her Nobody had brought it up, fearing she would be too blunt with the subject matter.

"Ask away."

Naminé folded her hands, looking down at the table as she spoke. "Why do you live like this? Aerith said you left because Cloud didn't want you to get hurt. Somehow I don't think that's the real story."

Tifa cast her eyes downward, hesitating. "I… may as well tell you two. What Aerith said was partially true, but I don't know if Cloud told her the whole story. See, five years ago, I left with Cloud to help him defeat Sephiroth. Sora was there; he probably told you. Anyway, we followed his trail everywhere, from world to world. Everyone had seen him, but no one knew where he was. We looked for him for months and finally cornered him in the Underworld. What he was doing there I have no idea. Making some underhanded deal with Hades, no doubt. Regardless, we found him and fought, but as always, underestimated how powerful he really was. He came within an inch of killing me… I wasn't strong enough… I let him possess me. He knew Cloud would do anything to protect me, so even though I was screaming internally for him to kill me, he wouldn't. Eventually I fought away Sephiroth with my own will, but not before he had taken me far away from Cloud. I found him again and we fought together, finally destroying Sephiroth. After that battle, I just couldn't face Cloud. I didn't have the strength to stand up against Sephiroth. So you see, I just can't return to them."

Naminé sighed, shaking her head. "Your shame runs too deep for your own good."

Tifa shrugged. "I know it better than most. I just can't bring myself to face them. You understand, don't you Kairi?"

Kairi hated to admit it, but she empathized with Tifa despite the differences in their dilemmas. "It's painful for you to be around Cloud because whenever you see him you're reminded of how you think you let him down."

"Exactly."

"But the point is you _didn't _let him down," argued Naminé. "You redeemed yourself in the end."

"Don't you get it?" Kairi turned to the blonde-haired girl. "This is exactly what Riku did those years ago. He hid himself from Sora and me because he was ashamed of his actions and what he had become. Even though he more than made up for what he did, he still felt horrible. The only reason he came around was because we made him."

"But he's all the happier for it!"

"Yeah, you can say that again," Kairi rolled her eyes.

"Kairi, that's not what I meant," she placed a gentle hand on Kairi's arm. "I wasn't trying to rub salt in a new wound."

"I know you didn't mean it; I'm just on edge."

"Do you want to talk about it?" offered Tifa. "We've got all day, you know."

Kairi smiled sadly. "I just… I guess I always assumed I'd end up with one of them, either Sora or Riku. After he saved me from Xehanort's Heartless, I thought it would be Sora, but I still had some feelings for Riku as well. I just… God, how could I have been so stupid to have missed something this obvious? The more I think about our past, the more I realize that they liked each other the whole time too."

Naminé placed a hand on her chin. "Let me get this straight. You're in love with Sora and have feelings for Riku."

Kairi gulped. She wasn't sure she liked where this conversation was going. Since when was Naminé so open and vocal anyway? "I guess you could say that…"

"And Sora's in love with Riku and would be in love with you if he didn't think you were dead."

"I suppose…"

"And Riku's in love with Sora but also has feelings for you," Naminé continued.

"That's probably true."

She smiled victoriously. "So basically the three of you are, at least in some form, in love with each other."

Kairi furrowed her brow. "I don't like where this is going."

Naminé shrugged. "If that's the case, I don't see what the problem is. They'll welcome you back with open arms."

"You don't get it, do you?" Kairi slammed an angry fist on the table. "I don't know where you're living, but the world doesn't work like that! Three people can't - it's taboo! Just because it sounds good mapped out in your mind doesn't mean it'll work. Besides, what would Riku and Sora think of it? They'd never go for it, that's what. It's best for me to just stay away. I'll help them more than they know, but I should just stay away… forever. It's what's best for them."

Naminé frowned. "But what about what's best for you?"

Tifa smiled in empathy. "Somehow I get the impression Kairi doesn't really care what's best for her as long as everyone else is happy. You do it too, Naminé."

At Tifa's words the Nobody was silenced. Kairi sipped her water, waiting for Tifa to continue. So, Kairi, you still want to help out with the cause?"

"Of course," she nodded eagerly. "I'll do anything to bring those Hybrid bastards down. I just can't risk letting them see me. Got any of those fake glasses with the big noses?"

"Better than that," Tifa smiled, standing as she beckoned Kairi and Naminé into her room. She pulled open her closet door and examined the contents.

"Okay, if we're going to pull this off, you're going to have to change your entire image," explained Tifa. "Meaning no more pink."

Tifa dug into the closet, pulling out a black jacket with flowing sleeves and a high neck. She threw it to Kairi, who tried it on enthusiastically. The neck was so high that covered half of her face, jutting out at the top to add to the wearer's dexterity. Kairi examined herself in the full-length mirror next to the bed. It certainly added to her mysteriousness, but she thought her identity was still obvious.

"Hmm…" thought Tifa, digging through her closet once more. She handed Kairi a pair of black pants, suggesting that it would greatly help change her appearance. Still when she looked in the mirror her identity was obvious.

"It's my damn hair," muttered Kairi, lifting a few strands with disdainful fingers. "It gives everything away."

Naminé sighed. "Kairi, you aren't thinking-"

"Tifa, do you have any hair dye?"

Naminé's grumbling was interrupted by Tifa's response. "Good idea. I have two bottles, one black and one brown. They're kind of old, but they should still be good."

"Tifa, I know you're trying to help," Naminé pleaded, her voice still calm. "But this is getting really out of hand. Kairi's willing to change her entire appearance. Isn't that a little strange?"

Naminé crossed her arms in annoyance as Kairi and Tifa ignored her request. Tifa took the box of black dye from Kairi and mixed the contents in the plastic tube.

"I think this will be more convincing since it's the furthest from your natural color," said Tifa as she read the instructions.

"I was thinking the same thing," said Kairi. "Great minds, right?"

"Crazy minds, more like," Naminé rolled her eyes as Kairi took a seat at Tifa's vanity, removing her overcoat to keep from ruining it. Kairi could see the Nobody glaring at her through the mirror as Tifa spread the dye through her hair.

"You have such pretty hair. Why ruin it?" grumbled Naminé.

"It's just hair," defended Kairi; she was beginning to feel perturbed by her Nobody's constant gripes. "It'll grow in again; it's not like this is for life."

"The emotional damage you're inflicting is."

Kairi and Tifa chose not to respond to Naminé's comment as they waited for her hair to be done. After half an hour, Kairi rinsed it out in the shower and walked cautiously back to Tifa's room. She ran a comb through her newly colored hair and blow dried it. She fingered the long black strands, frowning.

"Tifa, do you have a pair of scissors?"

She walked into the kitchen and fetched them for Kairi. "Why do you need - oh…"

Kairi began viciously hacking away at chunks of her hair, barely paying attention as she severed the long locks, chopping it off until the uneven strands fell just past her chin.

Naminé looked awestruck. "Where'd you learn to cut hair? I don't remember-"

"Must come naturally to me," she shrugged, walking back into the bathroom to change into the clothes Tifa had given her. She took a deep breath, finally prepared to step in front of a mirror.

With wide eyes Kairi observed herself. She looked dark, mysterious. Her face was covered by the high neck of her jacket, her dark hair obscuring any other discernable features. She took a step backward in shock.

"I look…"

"Empowered?" Tifa suggested.

"Insane," Naminé jutted back.

"Like you're going to kick some ass."

"Like you've taken this whole thing _way _too far."

Kairi rolled her eyes at the two. "Like… like a vigilante vampire."

Tifa burst out laughing, and even Naminé cracked a smile.

"Still… something's missing," Tifa snapped her fingers and ran out of the room, coming back seconds later with a pair of sunglasses in her hand. "No disguise is complete without them!"

"Thanks so much for everything, Tifa," Kairi smiled. "But I've got to deliver these keychains as soon as possible."

"Kairi, before you go…" Naminé stood from her seat by the window, speaking for the first time in several minutes. "I don't approve of this, but if you want to keep up appearances, disguise your voice too. You know, make it a little lower or something. And change your personality around them. Act really cocky and arrogant or something."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were against this."

"I am," she glared. "But I'd hate for them to find out the measures you took to hide from your best friends."

* * *

Riku closed his eyes, melting into those passionate lips that sucked, nibbled, kissed…

"Why don't you boys get a room?"

The two young men jumped away from each other, mortified. Riku took in a deep breath, unable to speak as his cheeks flushed, his body growing hot with embarrassment.

"We were… uh… we were just-" Sora faltered.

Riku observed their voyeur for the first time. She was a young woman dressed all in black and wearing sunglasses despite the cloud cover.

"Cut the crap, hon; I don't care which way you swing," she smirked. "What I do care about is this little Hybrid problem. You can't just keep sitting on your ass and screwing around with your boyfriend. People are dying."

Riku felt himself twitch slightly at the word. "We're… trying to save the worlds, but they've got these weapons-"

"Heart Reaper; I've heard," she yawned. "That's old news."

"We can't defeat them!" Sora pressed. "Besides, how do we know we can trust you?"

"Now, now, why so judgmental?" she smiled sarcastically. "Is the mysterious girl dressed all in black freaking you out or something, cause you know, I can leave if-"

"No, that's not what he meant!" Riku jumped. "We'll at least hear what you have to say."

"That's more like it," she said, approaching them. "My name's Ava. I'm a Nobody."

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Why do you want to help us, then?"

"Keep up with the program!" Ava snapped. "Nobodies have been destroying Heartless and taking their hearts for the past couple years, right?"

"Right…"

"Well, the Heartless are starting to retaliate against Nobodies. They don't want to be our bitches."

"So what, you don't have a Heartless bitch of your own?" Riku could be rude right back.

"We're not all like that, pretty boy," said Ava, her voice exasperated. "The thing is, I'm _really _sick of these damn Heartless trying to hunt me down. That's why it'd help me out if you could destroy the Hybrids. Cut off the head and the body wilts too."

"Look, we'd like to help you out, but our Keyblades are powerless against Heart Reapers," said Sora.

"Oh, I know. That's why I brought you boys a little present," the girl put her hands in her pockets, withdrawing the most magnificent keychains Riku had ever seen. "These are made from Adamant, the strongest known alloy. Bought 'em off a dwarf a couple worlds over. You should be able to destroy Heart Reapers with them."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "How do we know we can trust you? This could just be a trap. Xehanort or Ansem's Hybrid could've sent you!"

Ava laughed cynically. "Trusting, aren't we? Listen, why don't you just try it out, draw your own conclusion? I have no obligation to help you. If you don't want them I'll just-"

"No, wait - we'll try them," Riku interrupted, grabbing one of the chains from her palm. Sora reluctantly took the other. He gulped, placing the chain around the hilt of his blade. He jumped back slightly as it twisted and curved, molded into its new shape. He stared in awe at the bright, menacing blade that rose from his hand.

"How'd you score this kind of deal?" asked Sora, admiring his own.

Ava shrugged. "Dwarves are greedy little bastards. They give you anything for the right price."

"But how do we know it'll work?" Riku asked skeptically. He still didn't trust this random girl who had shown up out of nowhere.

She smirked again. "A weapon shouldn't be able to cut through solid rock, should it?"

"You're not actually suggesting-"

"Oh, I am," she interrupted Sora. "Just, you know, try it out. If it doesn't work, at least you'll know I was trying to trick you, right?"

Sora narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he raised the blade over his head, striking at a boulder. It sliced through the rock it one steady swing, creating a shower of sparks as it did so. Riku stared at the boulder as Sora jumped back in surprise.

"That… shouldn't be possible…" gasped Riku. "I mean, that goes against every law of physics-"

"So does living without a heart, but hey, I'm still kickin'," Ava smiled sarcastically. "So what, you boys believe I'm not out to… _bamboozle _you anymore?"

"It seems legit," Sora whispered, then raised his voice. "We believe you, Ava. Thank you. Is there anything we can do to repay you?"

"Yeah, kill the ringleaders for me, will ya?"

With that, the girl tilted her sunglasses up slightly, turned on her heel, and left Sora and Riku stunned by her sudden appearance. They stood in silence for several moments, unsure of what to make of the smart-tongued ally.

* * *

Kairi removed the sunglasses as she sprinted away from her friends as quickly as her feet would carry her. Even as the tears had gathered in her eyes, she had remained strong long enough to help Sora and Riku. She let them fall now, sobs escaping her lungs as she ran toward Tifa's house. It was beyond her how she had accomplished her mission without running up to Sora and Riku and smothering them each in a hug. No, she convinced herself, it was better this way. Better that they be happy, better that she stay on the sidelines and not ruin their lives. That part of her life was over, she decided. She'd have to start a new one, one that didn't include the two people she cared about most in the world. Finally a fair distance from Sora and Riku, she collapsed to the ground, crying her heart out once more.

* * *

...et voila.

I've been writing this in spurts for quite awhile, but I finally got it to come together. I know I said that this was the chapter I was really excited for, the big turning point, but it didn't work out the way I expected it to. Parts of this chapter were longer than I anticipated and I thought it would be more actiony. The Kairi thing is a big turning point, but originally there were going to be two. In that case this chapter probably would've been around 15,000 words and taken me even longer to update.

I'm really sorry for the delay, but I hope the chapter's worth it! Thanks so much for the reviews; you guys keep me writing! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. Until then, peace!


	15. Reunion

Another month without updating? I'm SO sorry; life has been completely crazy! I also didn't have the inspiration to write this fic for awhile... But I'm back! I'll seriously try to get these chapters out faster from now on!

**DISCLAIMER: **I do, in fact, own Kingdom Hearts. It's in a little DVD case and everything. Ohh, you mean the rights? Um, yeah... not mine.

* * *

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: REUNION

Riku was still apprehensive of the help they had received from the dark Nobody. She seemed almost fabricated, like behind her personality lurked something deeper. That's what was strange about it, he thought. In most cases things didn't go any further than personality for Nobodies. As they walked back toward the house to tell the others the news, he kept his Keyblade drawn, marveling at the intricate work.

"If she's trying to trick us, she's doing a good job at making it look legit," Riku thought aloud, running his hand down the blade. "Watch these be effective against everything_ but _Hybrids."

Sora shrugged. "I dunno, is it so hard to believe someone out there actually wants to help us?"

Riku was still suspicious. "Where did she come from? How did she get here? Why does she know who we are and exactly what we need?"

"Well, Nobodies have always been a mystery," Sora explained. "They take sides like the rest of us. Sometimes I wonder if they actually _do _have emotions."

"What? You're kidding, right?"

"Think about it," Sora rationalized. "Heartless _technically _have hearts, right?"

"Oh, so you're saying that since Nobodies _technically _exist, they can have emotions? Sorry; I'm still not making the connection."

"Just hear me out," Sora pleaded to a skeptical Riku. "Look: I watched Axel die. One of the last things he told me was that Roxas made him feel like he had a heart. That guy really cared about Roxas. It's hard for me to believe that they _don't _have emotions. Just because Ansem said they didn't… I mean, you knew him better than I did. Wasn't he really bitter and vengeful?

Riku put his hand on the house's doorknob. "Yeah… I mean, I guess he could've been wrong."

They dropped the conversation as they entered the house, greeting Aerith as she cooked in the kitchen.

"Hey guys," she smiled, pulling a roasting pan from the oven. "How'd it go today?"

"It was… interesting, to say the least," Sora furrowed his brow, unsure of how else to put it.

It was still slightly awkward (okay, Riku admitted, _way _more than slightly awkward) to be around Aerith, especially when it was just her, Sora, and himself. The idea that she knew about them lurked from his subconscious into his only consuming thought every time he was around her. She did know; he could feel it. He could tell Sora suspected it as well, based on his unusually shy demeanor and avoidance. Usually Sora talked to everyone, but he'd been slinking off to the shadows lately.

"Well that's nothing new," Aerith smiled. "What happened?"

"Sora and I were… uh, you know, looking for Hybrids, when this girl jumped out at us," Riku sloppily changed the story. _Yeah, nice cover, dumbass. _"She said she was a Nobody named Ava. Ever heard of her?"

Aerith shook her head. "No, sorry; there are a lot of Nobodies out there."

"Hmm…" Sora contemplated. "She told us we needed to eliminate Ansem's Hybrid and Xehanort. She gave us these weird keychains; they're stronger than anything I've ever seen."

Aerith raised a brow skeptically, taking off her oven mitts. "Would you mind calling your Keyblades so I can see them?"

They nodded, the weapons materializing seconds later. Aerith gasped as she looked upon the blades, her mouth ajar as she moved to touch them. "If I'm not mistaken… these are made from Adamant!"

"Yeah, that's what she told us," Riku affirmed. "We weren't sure if that was actually a _good _thing."

Aerith smiled. "That's an understatement. This is the best news we've gotten in months! With these we'll finally be able to destroy Ansem and Xehanort! I can't wait 'til the others get back!"

She ran to the window, peering out into the early evening, her meal preparation forgotten. "They should be here any minute now as long as nothing's holding them up…"

"Who's at the keep tonight?" asked Sora, lifting the lid of the pot to examine its contents.

"Just Cid. It's not like we get many attacks there-"

They flipped their heads to the sound of a knock at the door. Riku glanced skeptically from Sora to Aerith. "That's funny… who'd be knocking?"

"Oh, it's probably just Scrooge or something," Aerith shrugged, moving to answer the door.

"He-" her speech stopped abruptly as she stared frozen at the two figures at the door.

"Aerith? What's wrong?" asked Sora as he and Riku approached.

For a moment no one spoke. Riku eyed the two women suspiciously. The dark-haired one had tears in her eyes. The blonde smiled widely, her eyes bright.

"Aerith, I can't believe it!" the dark-haired woman finally spoke, hugging the astounded flower girl tightly.

"R… Rinoa?" she finally spoke, her voice shaky. "Quistis! She moved to greet the other, embracing the newcomer. "How… I… I can't believe… we… we thought you all died years ago!" she exclaimed, rushing them into the house. "What happened?"

"Our world split, but neither side was destroyed," Rinoa wiped a tear from her eye, beaming. "We thought for years you all had died!"

"H… how did you get here? What made you realize…" tried Aerith, breathless with amazement. "What about Zack and Zell? Are they-"

"They're fine; everyone's fine," Quistis reassured her. "Bugenhagen invented a machine that makes artificial portals. With the proper coordinates we were able to get here."

"But how did you get the coordinates?" asked Riku skeptically. "There are only a handful of people in the worlds who know them."

Sora nudged him in a stop-being-so-rude sort of manner.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aerith apologized. "Quistis, Rinoa, this is Sora and Riku. They're friends of ours who came to help after Gaia broke apart."

They smiled in greeting as Rinoa answered his question. "Well, this girl stumbled to our house several months ago. She told us her story, that she'd been sent to a realm of nothingness by Ansem's-"

"Kairi?" exclaimed Sora desperately his eyes bulging. "Was her name Kairi?"

Rinoa frowned sadly. "No, I'm sorry. But it was her Nobody, Naminé."

The jaws of both boys dropped.

"Naminé's… alive?" managed Sora, his voice constricting. "H… how…?"

"So… if Naminé survived, does that mean Kairi could have too?" asked Riku, a dead hope reigniting in his heart.

"I don't know," Rinoa frowned. "I'm sorry, but didn't sound very promising. I'm sure it's possible, but Naminé said she hadn't seen her since they were separated."

"Naminé's alive!" Sora breathed a sigh of relief. "And Kairi could be… she could be out there somewhere. We have to get off this world. We have to go find her. I don't care if she's… nowhere. We'll find her."

Riku cleared his throat. "Where's Naminé now?"

"She came here with us," explained Quistis. "We got separated in the move. We actually got here hours ago, but Rinoa and I spent a long time looking for her."

"So she's here," said Sora, his voice distant. "Naminé's somewhere on this world."

"Yeah," Rinoa nodded, but looked uneasy. "Yeah, I'm sure she… though it is possible… no, no it's not, because we walked through the same port - yes, Sora, Naminé's here."

"Do you think she's lost? Or maybe something attacked-"

"Please, Naminé?" Riku scoffed. "That girl's tougher than she looks, trust me. After she got out of the Organization's clutches she learned how to take care of herself. She's sweet, sure, but she can be downright _sneaky_. If she _is _here, she's purposely avoiding us or waiting for the right time to present herself."

Riku contemplated various reasons as to why Naminé would be hiding from them, but none seemed to make any sense. Perhaps she was afraid that her image would remind the two too much of Kairi, that seeing her would delve into painful memories they had tried to keep from occupying their daily lives. Maybe the artificial portal _had _sent her back to that realm of nothingness… but no, that still didn't make any sense. He knew Naminé; she was strong and determined, and would certainly claw her way back into the realm of existence. When he considered a third option his jaw dropped. Naminé could distort _memories_. What if Kairi was perfectly fine? What if she had replaced memories of herself into the minds of Quistis and Rinoa, when in actuality they had met Kairi? Riku knew it was entirely possible, completely practical actually. She'd done exactly that to Sora years before. The thought drooped in his mind just as quickly as the epiphany had hit him. Why would Kairi hide from him and Sora? If she was still alive, she would have run back to them as quickly as possible. No, he frowned, he was probably over thinking the entire situation.

He snapped back to attention to the sound of the door's latch caught the attention of the room's occupants. Riku smirked at Sora, who shrugged in understanding. They both knew this was going to be a heartfelt reunion that would leave the two of them standing awkwardly in the background. An overly happy, whistling Yuffie bounded into the room, oblivious to her surroundings.

"You slackers are back alrea-" she gasped, dropping her shuriken. It clamored to the ground, the sound of strong metal hitting a wooden floor. "Oh my God…"

Her eyes widened; her jaw dropped. She seemed unable to say or do anything as her eyes moved back and forth from Quistis and Rinoa.

"Yuffie. It's so good to see you," said Quistis with a welcoming smile, breaking her daze.

The ninja shook her head back and forth quickly as though trying to make sense of the impossible situation. She finally spoke, still not addressing the newcomers. She instead decided it was appropriate to yell at the top of her lungs. "Leon? Leon, get in here. Now. Seriously."

"Yuffie, what's the big idea?" Leon's melancholy voice echoed from outside the house. "I'm coming; I just had to-"

The man stopped in his tracks on the threshold of the door. His breath quickened, his eyes squinting into a awestruck grimace as he stared straight ahead. His mouth was agape, the very hint of a smile that, in a different situation, would have looked entirely comical. He took in a final breath, whispering a single word.

"Rinoa."

They ran the few steps to each other, arms entwining in a desperate embrace. She lay her head on his chest, his cheek coming to rest on the top of her head as he gripped the fabric of her shirt frantically as though he needed that tangibility to make sure she was there. After a long moment they withdrew slightly, arms still locked together as their eyes met. He pulled her up into a hungering kiss.

Riku felt his lips curve into the slightest smile. So _this _was the girl responsible for Leon's dejection, his constant bitterness with the worlds that had ceased to disappear even when everything was peaceful. As he pulled away from the embrace, Riku saw his eyes light up in a way that, had anyone recounted the story in his absence, he wouldn't have believed possible. It was rare to see even a sarcastic smirk in his expression, but now he smiled so widely it looked as though his face would crack in two. And wait - were those _tears _forming in his eyes?

Riku turned to Sora, who looked back at him, dumbfounded. His eyebrows were raised slightly, creating a confused expression on his brow. Riku shrugged and shook his head at his friend; he had even less of an understanding of the situation than he was sure Sora did. If he had to have guessed the outcome of the days events, this certainly would not have been included.

After staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity to the others, Leon and Rinoa broke apart. Leon seemed to acknowledge the other people in the room, his eyes darting quickly to the other newcomer.

"Quistis!" he exclaimed, swooping over to her and hugging her tightly.

"Long time no see, Squall," she whispered, her voice breaking when she said his name.

"It's Le-" he stopped out of what Riku assumed was habit. "I… I can't believe this! R… Rinoa, Quistis… how? You're…"

"Alive?" Rinoa beamed. She explained the happenings a second time, recounting them to Squall and Yuffie as she had to Riku, Sora, and Aerith.

"So you're saying Naminé came to your - uh, our, world?" asked Yuffie. "That she survived the blow from a Heart Reaper?"

"Well, Nobodies have no hearts, so it would make sense," nodded Leon… or Squall; Riku wasn't sure which one he was going by anymore.

Sora swallowed visibly, biting his lower lip as he addressed the room. "Is it possible that Kairi could've survived? That it just separated them? Or is the fact that Naminé's a Nobody a special condition and Heart Reapers can't hurt her?"

Leon contemplated the question. "This morning I would've told you there was no hope for Kairi, out of both cynicism and lack of evidence. Now, I'd say that there's a possibility she could be."

Sora's eyes widened, lighting up with a hope Riku rarely saw. "You really think so?"

"Notice I said possible, not probable," warned Leon. "Don't let your hopes get _too _high."

When Cloud and Reno returned (just as surprised and delighted to see their visitors as the others had been), Riku and Sora decided to leave the Radiant Garden group alone to let them catch up on years' worth of missed time. Commenting that he was exhausted from the excitement of the day, Sora went to bed early, leaving Riku to his thoughts. Out of lacking anything better to do, he decided to take a walk around the town at night.

For all of its daytime dreariness, Radiant Garden was, in a strange way, vibrant at night. It was illuminated by bright streetlights, their iridescent glow shining off the cobblestone streets and thatch-roofed cottages. From each house blazed a calm, soothing fire, casting flickering rays that licked the unknown world outside. Riku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Funny… the air tasted almost salty, like a fresh sea foam that awoke him pallet and stirred memories of a place he hadn't seen in ages.

"_I'm just… bored. I've been bored for a really long time."_

"_What are you getting at?" Kairi raised an eyebrow._

"_Remember how exciting our lives used to be?" asked Riku nostalgically as he stared into the dimming sky. "It seems so long ago."_

"Nostalgia never gets you anywhere," Riku huffed bitterly to the night sky, in disbelief that those long months ago he longed for this adventure. As he thought back to one of the last days they had spent on their Island, a feeling of sorrowing euphoria overcame him. Nostalgia. That damn emotion was more complicated than any other a person could experience. Nostalgia brought up fond memories, but they were always memories of the past, memories of people and places that he could neither see nor visit again. Nostalgia made one feel the greatest melancholy of all, the greatest grief and the strongest elation, all meshed together in a cacophonic disaster of conflicting emotions. The problem that plagued him the most was that the majority of the time he never realized that he would one day look upon present events nostalgically. Sitting on the beach with Sora and Kairi at his side once seemed like an everyday occurrence, and he didn't _realize _that one day he miss those indolent days.

"Kairi," he spoke her name in but a whisper, her face reflecting back at him in his mind's eye. Was it possible that she was out there somewhere? On some unknown world or in the realm of nothingness that Quistis and Rinoa had mentioned? If that was the case, they had to get her back; Riku was determined. He was sure Sora would pursue her just as fervently as he. He felt tears gather in his eyes, but refused to let them fall. Kairi was his closest friend besides Sora; the prospect of seeing her again ignited in him a drive to search her out. He would do anything, just as he had before, to get her back. He imagined the three of them together, back on the island like old times, before the Darkness had swallowed him up and taken her heart, before it had forced Sora to take on a responsibility not fit for someone even twice his age. Before they had been forced to grow up too soon…

He sighed, knowing that there was no possible way they could go back to such simplicity, even if it the could get Kairi back. The days when they had the luxury of being carefree children had ended with that first storm. They had returned home calmer, more cautious… bolder. Sora and Kairi had been in a relationship for well over a year when she was stabbed with a Heart Reaper. If she returned, would Sora want to start back where they left off? Would Riku be pushed out of the picture completely in favor of Kairi? He cast his eyes downward at the street. It was only right that he step out of the way if she was still alive. Sora had loved her first; he probably loved her _more_. Besides, his relationship with Kairi was normal, something he didn't have to hide from the others, something of which he didn't have to be ashamed. A lump rose in his chest. The thought of letting Sora go pained him more than he believed possible; it was something that he had never considered. After they had confessed to each other, he just assumed that nothing could drive them apart. He didn't blame Kairi of course; he just knew that when the time came, he would have to step back. It was this task he feared the most.

* * *

The waves of plaster on his bedroom ceiling all looked the same, like a sea that ignored the ebb and flood of time, one that was forever frozen, unchanging despite the turmoil of its inhabitants. But of course the symbolism behind the ceiling was barely a problem in Sora's mind. He had been laying awake for almost three hours, staring between the ceiling, an alarm clock, and the window. In truth he hadn't been the slightest bit tired (How could he be? The possibility that Kairi was still alive taunted his mind, begged him to act, to somehow find her), he just had to get away from Riku, if only for a short while. Kairi's continued existence brought him a renewed hope that he hadn't felt in months; a part of him that had disintegrated began to rebuild itself in his heart. But if Kairi was still alive, how could he be with Riku? He had loved her; he had promised to protect her (no matter how stubborn she was), had given her his entire heart and being. She was the sweetest, most loving person he had ever known…

And he realized he was still in love with her.

He groaned, rolling over onto his stomach and burying his face into his pillow. He loved Riku just as much. In their months at Radiant Garden the two had grown closer than he ever could have dreamed. When Sora thought about Riku his heart raced, beat the same way it did when he thought about Kairi. He had gone just as far with both relationships, and neither had truly ended. No matter what option he considered, he would irreversibly hurt one of his best friends.

* * *

"They're _so _going to recognize you."

"Will not; I'm too good."

"You'll be using a Keyblade."

"Not one that they've seen before. There used to be loads of Keyblade masters. They think I'm a Nobody. It's entirely probable."

"They'll recognize your fighting style."

"Pfft… Sora? Please… He's smart, but he's completely unobservant about some stuff. And Riku'll be so concentrated on the battle that he won't notice."

"What if Ansem or Xehanort recognize you?"

"Too arrogant. They think I'm dead."

"Whatever you say…"

Kairi and Naminé had been arguing in Tifa's kitchen for the better part of an hour about why she should or shouldn't fight alongside Riku and Sora.

"What if you get all emotional when you see them?" posed Naminé.

"I held up pretty well last time," Kairi defended. "I can control my emotions better than that. This will be a battle. There isn't time to think."

"And what if the same thing happens that did last time?" Naminé hissed. "I won't be there to drag you out of the nothingness again!"

Kairi pursed her lips, thinking. "I'll be careful not to get hit. Besides, with this new keychain I don't think we'll have too hard a time-"

"Then why don't you just let them do it!" Naminé's response was more of an interrogation than a question.

The girl glared at Naminé, her eyes stoic, her expression like stone. "Because. Because I'm tired of being the helpless little damsel. When Axel kidnapped me from Twilight Town, I had no way of defending myself; I was just… taken away. It was at that point I promised myself something: that after that I would fight. No matter what. I couldn't just let Sora and Riku get hurt all the time. Why was I so damn special that I had to sit on a pedestal while they risked their lives? Because I was some… Princess of Heart or something? I tried for years to prove myself to them, only to be stabbed by Ansem's Hybrid. I felt like that helpless little princess again. Like I was worthless and couldn't properly fight despite the years of training I'd gotten from the boys. I mean hell, I couldn't even get out of _that _mess; you had to save me!"

Naminé shifted her eyes from the ground to Kairi and back again. "You know, if Sora or Riku had opened that door… it would've been one of them stuck in the nothingness. You were just the unlucky one who got there first. Roxas might have been able to pull Sora out, like I did to you, but Riku probably would've been stuck there forever. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was you; any of you three would've sufficed."

Kairi looked at her in confusion. "What makes you say that?"

"Ansem was hoping that the destruction of one of you would lead the other two into Darkness," she took a breath. "Because he underestimated the power of the heart, as he always has."

Kairi nodded. "You're right. And he'll underestimate the bond that Sora, Riku, and I share. That's why I have to help them."

"There's… no use arguing with you, is there?"

"You'd probably have better luck with a wall."

* * *

"So this… could be it."

"Yeah, pretty much."

Sora and Riku stood facing the main door of the keep, their eyes cemented to the keyhole that had completely altered their fate months before. Sora gulped, strumming his fingers nervously on his leg. He felt the slight brush of Riku's palm on his hand, but it was withdrawn quickly, as though he had changed his mind midstream.

He spoke instead. "Hey, it's okay. We're gonna kick their asses."

Sora smiled. "We'd better. I swear to God, Riku, if you get hit by one of those weapons I'll be too pissed off to go looking for you."

"Liar."

"Yeah, I know…"

Sora looked at his friend determinately despite their jests. With a single nod of his head, he lifted his newly formed Keyblade in the air as Riku followed suit. Two identical beams of light shot out of them, aiming for the keyhole. The familiar vacuumed portal opened once more, and they braced themselves as they were sucked into the realm of pseudo-nothingness where Ansem and Xehanort existed.

Sora landed with a loud "oof" on the ground, only to have the wind knocked out of him by a falling Riku, who tumbled directly onto his stomach.

"Shit… Sorry, Sora; you okay?" he asked, rising quickly. He grabbed Sora's hand, pulling him to his feet.

"Ugh… watch it," he said breathlessly, shaking off the pain as they began to walk through the white, voided space.

After walking for several minutes and accomplishing nothing, Riku stopped in his tracks.

"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Sora.

"How long did it take you to find Ansem last time?"

"I didn't have to look, really," he explained. "He just appeared and… well, yeah."

"ANSEM!" Riku shouted at the top of his lungs. "XEHANORT!"

"Riku, are you nuts?" Sora whispered urgently, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back.

"What, we're here to fight them anyway, aren't we?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but that's not how it-"

An black cloud of smoke appeared, its wisps dissipating as a tall, tan figure slowly came into view. The man had long, white hair that fell past his hard features, muscled arms leading to strong fists that clenched what Sora knew was one of the most deadly weapons in the worlds.

"Ah, two petty, insolent Keyblade masters…"

Riku frowned, staring at their enemy with pure loathing. "Sorry, Sor. I guess it kinda does."

"Xehanort…" Sora growled under his breath; his voice sounded almost primal, animalistic.

His lips curled into a defiant sneer as he glared at the two Keyblade masters. "Sora… it's been quite a long time, hasn't it? And Riku, so long ago you too were possessed by the Darkness. You can feel it slowly creeping back into your heart, can't you?"

Neither graced him with speech, but merely stood there, frozen in a defensive position.

"Mute today, are we?" he continued, pacing back and forth. "So unlike that little redheaded girl who Ansem-"

"Don't you DARE talk about Kairi!" Sora lashed out, sneering at Xehanort. "It's your fault she's-"

Xehanort laughed, interrupting Sora's rant. "_My _fault? I'm afraid that's all your doing, mighty Keyblade masters."

"What? What're you talking about?" Sora asked, confused.

"What happened to her?" demanded Riku, his teeth clenched in fury.

"How about an arrangement?" Xehanort avoided the question. "If you can defeat me, I'll tell you exactly what happened to Kairi. Otherwise, well… I think you know the outcome."

Riku narrowed his eyes. "Nah, really? Why don't you spell it out for us, 'cause I'm not sure I'm-"

"Sora, Riku!" they turned their heads to the approaching voice, its tone urgent. Sora's jaw dropped as he looked upon the noir-clad Nobody.

"Ava?" he exclaimed, dumbfounded. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you fight," she explained, a Keyblade materializing in her hand. "C'mon, let's go."

* * *

Riku's right; Naminé can be downright sneaky when she wants to be. Epic battle scene next chapter? I think that's in order.

**PLEASE READ: **I _really _hate to do this... but I'm going to, and I'm sorry if it sounds whiny or anything. Every time I update I get well over 100 hits in the first day a new chapter is posted. I have a bunch of faves and alerts, but very few people review. I would _**really **_appreciate more reviews from you guys. I'm glad that you like it, and trust me, it's really flattering that people have faved and alerted this story so much, but feedback is very helpful in fanfiction. It lets me know what you guys like and don't like and gives me the motivation to keep writing. If you have a few seconds to spare, please review, whether it's anonymous or signed.

To those of you who do review, thank you so much. I'm really glad you like it; it's because of your reviews that I keep writing. Without you guys I probably would have stopped after about Chapter Five. Oh, and I just figured out it's possible to respond to signed reviews as well (yeah, I'm a little slow on the draw...), so I'll be doing that too!

Anyway (review begging over - sorry again), I hope you guys liked it! Peace out!


	16. Reveal

Sorry this chapter's so short, but I'm _so_ over Hollow Bastion at the moment. I'm really tired of writing around it and I want the setting to progress past this. Honestly when I started this project, I thought it was going to be about 30,000 words and take place entirely at Radiant Garden. Man was I wrong! I can't believe this is over 60,000 words now!

**DISCLAIMER:** Ce n'est pas à moi.

* * *

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: REVEAL

His eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he observed their new ally. How could this girl, this seemingly random Nobody, be a Keyblade wielder like Riku and himself? His question was interrupted by Xehanort's laugh.

"So you managed to crawl your way back, _Ava_?"he said her name tauntingly. "That's nearly impossible."

Ava stared him down, her lips pursed determinedly. "Shut up."

"Why? You don't want them to know-"

"SHUT UP!" she screamed, lunging at him with her Keyblade. She dodged backward quickly as he reacted, nearly slashing her in the arm.

"Be careful!" Sora warned. "Remember, one hit and we're toast!"

"Yes, don't make the same mistake twice…" Xehanort sneered as he swung the blade toward the three of them in an attempt to dodge their weapons and strike to kill, to send them to an almost inescapable place. Riku retaliated first, evading the series of attacks and blocking the final with his Keyblade. He jumped back in surprise as the blades connected, sparks flying out of Heart Reaper. They whirled around the three Keybearers before whizzing around their ankles and disappearing into the white ground.

Xehanort flinched for only a moment, as though he were awestruck at the fact that Riku's blade had managed to deflect his weapon. He glared briefly at Riku before sending in another round of attacks, swiping the scythe at all three of them. Sora jumped high in the air, evading the weapon as he swung down to swipe Xehanort's shoulder with his Keyblade. The man cringed, stifling a grunt of pain as Ava took the opportunity to strike at his chest. Riku clashed swords with him again, sending another shower of sparks into the voided space. He leaped back as the blade almost scraped his arm, rolling backward to avoid the blow. Sora attacked again, deciding this time to strike at the weapon rather than the man. He made contact, their weapons locked in a stalemate as they slid, scraping against one another in an earsplitting screech. He wanted to cover his ears, to soften the sharp noise, but he knew that do so would threaten not only his life, but that of his friends. He held the stance as Riku and Ava jumped forward, stabbing their blades into Xehanort's chest. He wailed in pain as he fell forward, the scythe breaking against the strength of Sora's Keyblade. Sora jumped back, watching in shock as the man clutched at his chest, blood soaking into his clothing, seeping onto his hands.

Because he was neither a Nobody nor a Heartless. He would not fade or release a captive heart. Xehanort was a full person.

His breath gurgled as he tried to speak. "Just because you could defeat me… what makes you think you're even close to winning? You'll never do it; your friends have lied to you, betrayed you… you'll go into the Darkness before this is over."

"Our friends would never betray us!" growled Riku as he watched Xehanort with both fury and disgust.

Xehanort attempted to laugh, his breath weakening. "I made a promise to you, didn't I? This… _Nobody_, this _Ava_… don't you wonder why she knows so much about you?"

Sora and Riku looked at him suspiciously, their eyes darting over to the mysterious Nobody.

"Don't listen to him!" she said, her voice growing uncharacteristically high.

His lips twisted into a menacing smirk as he raised his hand toward the girl. "One last act to tear you apart."

Xehanort let out a final, stifled laugh before falling silent, never to speak again

The two young men stood frozen as they watched a wind whirl around Ava, its clear, pure form turning gray as it spun around, her opaque figure visible through the smoke. Sora watched in amazement as her sunglasses faded, the high neck of her jacket fell, how, despite the change in appearance…

That before his eyes stood Kairi.

He was unable to speak, almost unable to move as his eyes filled with tears that streamed down his face with more vigor than he could ever imagine. Finally able to process the situation, Sora walked toward her, held out his arms-

She shied away, turning in the other direction and stepping back several paces.

"K… Kairi?" Sora managed. "You're… what happened? How… why did you-"

"It doesn't matter," she said bluntly, refusing to face him. "Stay away from me, Sora."

He tried to gather his bearings. "How can you say that?"

She was silent for several moments, her back turned. "I don't love you anymore. And you don't love me."

His devastated jaw dropped. "Of course I-"

"Then say it in front of Riku," she slowly faced him, biting her lip as her eyes filled with tears.

"_Then say it in front of Riku." What was that supposed to mean? I've told her that millions of times in front of Riku. The only reason she would say that was if she knew- If she _knew. _But there's no way she could possibly know. _

"Kairi…" Riku said in disbelief, as though he were almost completely oblivious to their conversation.

"Say you love me in front of Riku."

Riku shook himself from his daze, the complexity of Kairi's words striking him abruptly. He looked uneasily at the two, a pained expression lighting his face as he struggled with himself. He drew in a deep breath, hesitating. "Go ahead, Sora. It's fine."

His eyes shifted from Kairi to Riku, unsure of what to do. She _knew_. He didn't know how it was poss-

He smacked a hand on his forehead. Oh, right. The cave. She'd caught them in the cave. But then how was she able to act so nonchalant upon seeing them for the first time in months? She must have found them before and gone to extreme lengths to disguise her appearance. However, if she didn't love him anymore, why would she have put on the guise in the first place?

Riku must have made the connection as well, and cleared his throat to speak. He swallowed visibly. "Kairi, it's fine. I'll stay out of the way."

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Oh, no you don't, Riku. I'm stepping down so you two can be happy. Besides, I don't love-"

"Bullshit," Riku's expression turned severe. "That's the biggest load I've ever heard. If you didn't love him anymore you wouldn't have tried so hard to distance yourself from us."

Sora looked down at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with either of them. "Kairi… how'd you… find out?"

She sighed slowly. "When I first got back I saw you two wrestling, and then… you know…"

Sora grumbled, burying his head in his hands.

"Kairi, we honestly thought you were gone, that you were still…" Riku pleaded, losing his words. "If we'd have had even a sliver of hope otherwise, I'd have never… and Sora'd never… Listen; why don't we just go back to the way it was before-"

"Before I 'died'?" she scoffed. Despite her external attitude, the tears she blinked onto her cheeks showed her true emotions. "C'mon, Riku. None of us are stupid. We all know how impossible that would be. I'm trying to make this easier for all of us. Try to forget me. Be happy together. If you two are happy, I'll be happy."

Riku crossed his arms over his chest, lowering his head. He finally spoke, his voice quiet. "The only way I'll be happy is if the two of you are happy."

Sora bit the inside of his mouth, the taste of metal flowing across his tongue as his teeth broke the skin. "Don't you get it? None of us care about our own happiness. We wouldn't be out here trying to save the worlds if we did. But you're considering each other and assuming… that I'd actually be able to pick one of you. I can't; I could never…."

Kairi frowned, her eyes glimmering with tears. "That would leave us at a stalemate, Sora. I'm going to break it. I'll make it easier for all of us."

She closed her eyes and said Naminé's name loudly. Her voice echoed through the oblivion, her lids fluttering open as a dark portal appeared. She waved back at them sadly.

"Sora, Riku, you're the best friends I could ever have. I don't blame you, not in the least. You have nothing to regret and nothing to feel sorry for. I'll be watching out for you, but we can't do this together anymore. I want the two of you to be happy together. I'm sure we'll meet again at some point or another, but I want you to try to forget me. It's the only way for any of us to be happy again."

"But Kai-"

"Please… Sora, Riku, stay away from me."

"Kairi! Wait!" but Sora's reaching hand was too late. The portal closed and his hands merely grasped at the air.

And for the first time since he had been able to recover from her death, he fell to his knees and cried.

* * *

It should have been ever-so-slightly-awkward; Riku was amazed that it wasn't. He ignored his once standoffish demeanor and sat next to his friend, arms wrapped around his shoulders in a comforting embrace as Sora wept, salty tears flowing down Riku's neck and moistening the collar of his shirt.

He'd convinced Sora to pull himself together, if only for a minute, so that they could seal the keyhole. After accomplishing this the voided world faded, turning back to the familiarly bleak setting of Radiant Garden.

He'd tried to be optimistic, telling Sora that because they'd sealed the empty space there was now a possibility that they could travel to new worlds. Sora had cracked a smile, saying he was glad they could finally accomplish something… before his mind snapped back to the previous situation and he thought about Kairi once more.

For once it was the embrace of a friend, nothing more. When Riku pressed his lips to Sora's temple it was comforting, not passionate. The thumb gently kneading his back was gentle, not yearning. The words whispered into his ear were encouraging, not seducing. Sora needed this bit of stability, not more confusion to add to the maelstrom of emotions he was experiencing. Usually Sora was good at dealing with his emotions, but Riku realized that sometimes there was only so much a guy could take.

Eventually the crying ceased, leaving Sora in a depressed stupor. Riku let go of him at last, backing up to meet his bloodshot eyes.

"How are you feeling?" asked Riku.

Sora shrugged, lowering his eyes. "I'm fine."

He bit his lip, the guilt building. "It's all because of me."

"Riku, I swear to God if you try to blame this on yourself one more time, you won't have a voice to apologize _with_."

Riku gulped. Sora actually seemed like he meant it.

"What's _with _you two?" he continued, not waiting for Riku's response. "You're both trying to be self-sacrificial by stepping out of the way, and then you blame the whole situation on yourselves because of something none of us could've ever expected! Then Kairi has to go and be a martyr… She's acting like I don't want her in my life, like I'm not going to keep dwelling on the fact that she won't even get near us anymore… and you both think you're doing me a favor; that's what I don't get. Like either of those situations would make any of us happy…"

He tried hard to keep his face stoic. "It's… well… it's really your decision, I guess."

Sora rolled his eyes. "No matter what I… no matter what _we _decide to do, someone gets irrevocably hurt. The only thing I can think of is… maybe we should all just be friends, at least for now."

Riku frowned. "I don't see how that'll get her to come back to us."

"Well, we're bound to run into her sooner or later; she said she'd be watching out for us after all," Sora explained. "If she sees we're not… doing anything, maybe she'll get the impression we're just friends again. Then maybe she'll come back and things can be like they were when we were kids. I mean, as long as we can all just be together, even platonically… just, you know, being able to talk to both of you…"

He would never admit it aloud, but Riku knew Sora was right. "You're a sap, but… I'm willing to give it a try if it means getting Kairi back."

They nodded in uncomfortable silence for several moments before Riku finally addressed the issue.

"So this is it," he shrugged.

"For now," Sora said optimistically.

"But possibly for good."

"It's a temporary hiatus," Sora corrected.

"Some hiatuses stick permanently."

Sora scowled. "Riku. Voice. Gone forever."

"Right, sorry… So we're not necessarily…" Riku bit his lip. He was going to acknowledge it aloud for once, damn it. "So we're not, you know, breaking up for good."

Sora raised his eyebrows, eyes lighting briefly. "Not unless you want to."

Riku sighed, a slight laugh escaping his lips. "Fuck no."

Riku stood from his seated position and offered Sora a hand up. He automatically moved to snake his arm around Sora's waist, but Sora shrugged away.

"Just _how _bad is your memory?" he joked.

He smirked. "Sorry, just habit."

Sora laughed and shook his head. "Just pretend there are always people around… or that it's four months ago."

"Option one sounds easier…" Riku grumbled. This was going to be more difficult than he had first anticipated. He knew he hadn't thought it through as deeply as he should have. What if it took a long time for them to find Kairi in the first place? Sora had absolutely _dreadful _tracking skills (he'd managed to evade his discovery for months when he was stuck in Ansem's body, and the only reason Sora ever found out was because Kairi had recognized him), and Kairi was stubborn beyond belief.

"So what now?" Sora asked.

"We go back, tell them we defeated Xehanort… and then we get _out_."

"I can't _wait _to get off this world. I'm so sick of Radiant Garden," Sora agreed. "And I'm sure the HRO has strongholds on other worlds that we'll have to take care of."

"Should we tell them about Kairi?" Riku was uneasy asking Sora this question, but he didn't want to bring it up in front of the others without an accordance.

Sora hesitated for a moment, stopping in his tracks. "Yeah. Yeah, we should tell them. If she comes to them they can relay information to us. You know, tell us how she's doing, give us some advice on how to bring her back."

They made their way back to the keep as quickly as possible, both eager to tell the others about the immense amount of progress they had made. They returned to see Squall pacing back and forth with a notebook in his hand as Yuffie leaned against the counter, arms crossed as she stared at him in anger. Reno sat at the table, wearing a bored yet comical expression on his face as he observed the other two's antics. At Sora and Riku's entrance they stopped their minor squabble.

"You're back! You're alive!" exclaimed Yuffie. "Does that mean you-"

"Yep."

"Which one did-"

"Xehanort."

"Really?" Yuffie jumped up and down, running over to Sora and pulling him into a suffocating hug. She moved to Riku and did the same, his lungs constricting.

"Oof… Yuffie…"

"Nice going," Reno smirked. "You could probably get out of here if you wanted to."

Leon looked from Sora to Riku with a genuine smile on his face. "Good job, guys. Really. I mean it. We'll get your ship ready and have you ready to leave as soon as possible."

"Geeze, kicking us out already?" Sora joked.

Leon laughed. _Wait, laughed? _"That's right. It's time for you to get the hell out of here."

Riku couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

I'm so sorry. That was quite possibly my worst chapter ever. Like I said before, I'm so tired of the setting. I'll edit it at some point in the future, but right now I'm looking forward to some serious world hopping! Thanks for reading!

Now, let's blow this pop stand!

See ya, and thanks again for the reviews from last chapter!


	17. Venture

So the gods of motivation finally decided to smile upon me! Maybe it's because I get to write about a different setting. Maybe it's because the sun's out. Maybe it's because of Billy Joel. Whatever the reason, I'm actually liking this chapter. Like I said, I wasn't happy with the last one at all... hopefully this makes up for it.

About the Billy Joel thing... I was listening to his song _Vienna _when I was writing the part from Riku's point of view; that's what inspired the tone of the scene. It's one of my favorite songs of all time. It's old but it's amazing... I can't recommend it highly enough.

I hope you're all not too mad at me for breaking up Sora and Riku. *Hides.* I have reasons; you'll see. Just remember what 'ship this fic is labeled as.

**DISCLAIMER: **If I owned Kingdom Hearts I would be escaping this miserably cold weather on Santorini or an exotic Tahitian beach. Instead I'm writing fan fiction while bundled up under five blankets. Yeeeeah... must not be mine.

* * *

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: VENTURE

Pure devastation had formed a habit of mocking Kairi these days. Every time she managed to find a slight amount of solace or a shred of happiness, some hopeless event undoubtedly occurred and threw her recovering heart into a mire of bleakness once again. Initially she had thought that being trapped in the realm of nothingness was the worst fate she could have imagined, but during that time she still held the hope that Sora would be waiting for her if she were to manage an escape. Her time on Gaia, she supposed, was the happiest she had been in recent memory. Even if she was away from Sora and Riku, she still held the sense of hope that had been shattered so many times she doubted the tiny shards could ever be realigned. Finding out about their relationship had taken enough of a toll on her heart; the fact that they now knew she was still alive tore her apart even more because she knew it gave them another unneeded strain.

"Has anyone ever told you that you think too much?" Naminé interrupted her thoughts, strumming her fingers on the kitchen table.

"Has anyone ever told you that you meddle too much?" Kairi retorted.

Naminé laughed softly. "Was that supposed to be a joke, 'cause it kinda stung."

She shrugged. "Take it however you want, I guess."

"You know… ever since I came into being, or_ nonbeing_, or whatever, I've been forced to meddle," Naminé considered. "At first it was against my will, manipulating people's memories by the order of Organizaton XIII. Now I guess I do it for better reasons, but still… sometimes I wonder if it's all I'm capable of."

Kairi furrowed her brow. "Naminé, are you kidding me? You've helped me so much. Without you telling me everything would be okay… I'd probably be a blithering mess right now."

The other girl was silent for several moments, as though she were attempting to delve into a sensitive subject. "You know… I had feelings… or, whatever nobodies have… for Sora once, too."

"I know," Kairi nodded. Naminé was a part of her; she'd figured as much. "When you changed his memories those years ago, when you replaced his memories of me with you… it was more than just the Organization making you do it."

Naminé frowned, closing her eyes in shame. "I'm sorry."

Kairi brushed it off. "What's there to be sorry about? You're a part of me; it'd only be natural for some of my emotions to transfer to you."

"Except that I don't _have _emotions," Naminé argued. "Those feelings… I'm sure they're only shadows compared to what you feel."

"I'm beginning to think that's not true," Kairi suggested. "How can anyone _know _that Nobodies don't feel anything? Maybe you're just taught to think that. I mean, just because Nobodies don't have hearts… Who's to say that's where true emotions stem from anyway?"

Naminé frowned. "That's what a lot of Ansem's research is based off of. If anyone knows about theories of the heart, it's him."

"Yeah, and look where that's left him," Kairi said disdainfully. "He turned against us all."

The blonde girl looked uneasy. "Honestly, I can't blame Ansem for what he's done. First of all, it was his desperate Nobody who wanted a heart. The Ansem I knew, even for his mistreatment of me and Roxas, would have never turned toward the Darkness. He hated it. His problem was that he was bent on revenge and couldn't see past the ends justifying the means. The reason he's acting against us is because he has the unstable heart of a Hybrid. Whatever animosity that person felt is being reflected through this form."

Kairi thought about it for a moment. "So if we destroy Ansem's Hybrid, will he go back to his Nobody form or will he be whole again?"

Naminé shrugged. "That'd depend on whether or not his Heartless form is still lurking around somewhere. It's impossible to say."

"So basically… we're never going to be able to destroy them, are we?"

The scowl that Naminé sent Kairi was so fierce that it almost made her flinch. For once the gentle expression in her blue eyes was completely absent. "Maybe if you'd stop being so stubborn you'd have a fighting chance. Don't you get it? By revealing you to Sora and Riku, Xehanort meant to split the link the three of you share. He even _told _you that, and low and behold, it worked."

Kairi lay her arms on the table and put her head down. "Being around them is too much."

"You know they broke up so you'd come back to them."

"WHAT?" her head shot up, eyes widening. "Why would you even… how do you know-"

"I snoop. I lurk," she said simply. "It's one of the conveniences of being able to transport yourself anywhere you want to go."

"No," Kairi grumbled. "No, that wasn't how this was supposed to work. They were supposed to stay together and be happy because _I _stepped away."

"Face it, Kairi. They want you back," Naminé glared determinately. "You're the third part, the missing link, and without the three of you working together, you'll never be able to finish this."

She sighed. "What do I need to do?"

* * *

As much as he wanted to leave Radiant Garden and continue his quest of helping the other worlds, Sora was, in a way, sad to leave. It had been his home for months, and it was difficult to say goodbye to the people who had helped him through so much. They had said their farewells to the others, promising to visit soon (he was sure problems would crop up eventually), and followed Cid to the hangar that housed their ship. He bid them farewell, telling them to "get the hell out of here before ya cause any more problems", and left them to part on their own. Sora looked back as he put his foot on the first step of the ship. Radiant Garden somehow seemed brighter, its clouded skies less gray, its somber scenery less dead and deserted.

Riku seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "You know, I think I'm actually gonna miss this place."

"Yeah, me too," Sora concurred, breathing in the cool air that whipped across his face. "But we've got promises to keep. Disney Castle? It's the closest world."

"Sounds like the best place to start," Riku agreed, heading up the stairs behind Sora.

"Sora, Riku! Wait!"

Sora snapped his head around at the familiar voice, his heart nearly leaping from its cavern. His jaw dropped, widening into a smile as the figure of a young woman ran toward them.

"Kairi!" he exclaimed, running off the staircase and bounding onto the rocky ground. He ran toward her, wrapping his arms around her in a strong hug as she sighed into the embrace, resting her head against his chest. He felt an enormous sense of relief wash over him as he listened to the sound of her breath rising and falling.

But she broke the embrace quickly, Sora reluctantly letting go. She smiled up at him for a moment before looking to an awkward Riku, still standing on the steps above.

"Riku," she smiled, walking up the steps and hugging him just as tightly as she had Sora. He hesitated for only a moment, his face struck with a slight perplexity, before returning the affection.

She bit her lip, looking from one to the other. "Do you have room for one more?"

* * *

Sora leaned back in the middle seat, switching the ship onto autopilot. There were few disturbances on their path, and he was glad to have the time to relax with both of his friends for the first time in months.

While he and Riku seemed nonchalant, Sora couldn't help but notice Kairi's uneasiness. He frowned, taking in her sorrowed expression.

"Kairi, what's wrong?"

She seemed to struggle with herself, picking at the fabric on the chair's armrest. "Naminé told me you guys broke up."

Riku snapped his head toward her. "How did she know?"

"It's Naminé," Kairi said simply. "She knows stuff. The thing is… I thought by being away from you it'd be easier for you not to think about me. I didn't realize my plan would backfire. So I'm back. I'm here to help. But I want you to know that whatever you two decide to do, it's fine with me because I'll stick by your sides no matter what."

He let the words sink in, their insinuation sprouting in his mind. Did she mean on a purely tactical level, or was she referring to their ridiculously complicated situation? Ridiculously complicated, Sora considered. That was a good way to put it. Awkwardness to the extreme. Come to think of it, why was _everything _awkward these days?

"_Well gee wiz, Sora," _said the sarcastic voice in his head that only seemed to appear when he was at his most cynical. _"Maybe it's because they're your best friends and you just happen to have slept with both of them. Riku's all guilt-ridden and dealing with the burden of yet another person knowing. You? Well, you're feeling guilty and completely torn up… oh, and you're worried that your ex-girlfriend thinks you're gay."_

Gay? Did Kairi actually think he was gay? Sora gulped; he definitely wasn't… well, not completely…

"Only half…" he mumbled under his breath.

"Huh? What was that?" Kairi asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking out loud."

"Only half what?"

Riku gave him a look that said 'sorry, but I can't help you out of this one'. Sora sent him a scathing glare. That bastard knew exactly what he was talking about.

"It's nothing," he brushed it off, standing from his position and making his way into the vessel's tiny bedroom. "I'm pretty tired; I think I'm going to get some sleep. Just keep the ship on autopilot for awhile; I don't think we'll run into anything that's going to try to kill us."

Riku looked at his watch. "It's like… four in the afternoon."

"That doesn't apply in space. Besides, I'm preparing for the possibility of jet lag," he knew it was a bad excuse, but it was the only thing his frustrated mind would come up with. "G'night."

Sora shut the door behind him, closing his eyes and letting sound of the ship's engine sooth his overactive mind. He relaxed his muscles, trying to find a comfortable position on the small bed. Sleep finally engulfed him, whisking him away, if only temporarily, from the complications of his life.

* * *

"I'm sorry."

The apology came as a complete shock to him. What on earth could Kairi possibly be apologizing for? Surely by now she understood as well as he and Sora did that this was no one's fault. Riku was actually starting to feel animosity toward her unrelenting regrets.

"Kairi, how many times do we have to tell you that it's no one's fault?" he tried to keep his voice calm; after all, he was talking to a friend who he had assumed dead for well over half a year.

She shook her head, dark bangs falling across her face. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the way I used to treat you. Back when we were kids. Did you even realize…?"

He furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?"

Fidgeting with the ripped fabric on her chair as a diversion from making eye contact with Riku, Kairi continued. "I was horrible to you, Riku… and I'm not sure if you even noticed. Did you know I tried to get Sora to leave on the raft, just me and him? When I suggested it he just looked confused and I passed it off as a joke… but it wasn't. You were such a good friend to both of us… but back then all I cared about was Sora, Sora, Sora. He was so selfless, but all I did was try to center his attention on me."

Riku shook his head. "I was an arrogant little prick back then. I was always trying to get your attention _and _Sora's… Come on, Kairi. Based on the hell I put Sora through after you lost your heart, whatever you could have possibly done to me pales in comparison."

Kairi bit her lip, struggling with herself. "I never told either of you this, but when I forgot about Sora, I still remembered you. I had this… sliver of a memory, more like an inkling, that there was another boy who we used to play with on the island. Why did I care more about finding the boy that I couldn't remember more than you? Why did I just pass off my memories of you and only care about finding him?"

He looked at her blankly, unsure of what to say. "You know, you've changed a lot."

"Months of nonexistence gives a person a lot of time to think," she said bluntly. "Not to mention I'm finally done with that pure heart nonsense…"

"How can you possibly think that's nonsense?"

She shrugged. "I can think a lot more clearly these days. I realize that some of the things I did may have been wrong and selfish, even if I didn't see it before. I've been questioning everything we've been told about pure hearts, Nobodies, Heartless… what if what we know about it is all myth? We've seen that not all Heartless lose their sense of self. I've witnessed Naminé crying. I became a better person after my heart was tainted. I don't understand how it works, I just know we can't take what we were told for face value."

Riku considered her words, their conversation falling into silence for several minutes. Kairi, selfish? He had never even considered the possibility. And yet here she was, insisting that she was a horrible person despite what she had done to help them. Sure, she had made mistakes in the past; he could see the underlying selfishness and perhaps even jealousy in her past actions, but she had only been fourteen. Besides, he considered, the effects of that were minimal compared to what he had caused. That was one of the reasons he had stepped back and left Sora and Kairi at peace with their relationship. After the hell he had put them through, they deserved happiness. But now Kairi was acting the same way he had those years before.

She stifled a cynical laugh.

"What's so funny?"

Kairi rolled her eyes, gazing out the window at the starry oblivion surrounding their small ship. "Maybe neither of us deserve Sora."

Riku shook his head. "That's probably true."

They turned their attention to the sound off shuffling, muffled footsteps from the other room of their small cabin. Sora walked in, his eyes glazed over in sleep. He was clad in a pair of plaid lounge pants and a white t-shirt, his hair even more unruly than usual.

"Did we wake you up?" asked Kairi. "Sorry, we were just-"

"Cramped quarters, guys," he said groggily. "Thin walls."

Kairi sighed as though she knew what was coming. "So how much did you hear?"

"Enough," Sora left his stance by the door to stumble into his vacant chair. "You guys need to knock it the fuck off, seriously."

Riku frowned at Kairi, whose face showed a similar expression. Sora usually only threw out major curses in two kinds of situations: one, when he was extremely tired, and two, when he was completely furious. Sensing a combination of both scenarios, Riku gulped, only slightly afraid for his life. But Sora simply slouched down in the chair, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"Sora, you're tired. Maybe you should go back to bed," Kairi suggested.

"Like I could sleep with the two of you throwing the most pathetic pity party I've ever heard."

Riku sighed exasperatedly. "But after what I pulled back in-"

"Shut it," Sora interrupted him.

"And with the way I acted around-"

"That comment was intended for _both _parties, Kairi," he grumbled, propping his feet up on the dashboard. "Looks like I'm going to have to sleep here tonight. I thought you might start arguing, but I never expected you to bring each other down. We're _friends_. Aren't we supposed to support each other or something? Sounds like you guys are forming some kind of… suicide pact. Just… calm down. It'll all work out in the end. I promise."

Riku didn't believe Sora's words; he was unable to see how their situation could possibly mend itself. However, he was willing to give it a chance. After all, he was sitting between his two best friends for the first time in ages. Perhaps there was some miniscule way that their lives could adjust for the better. He leaned back the seat and closed his eyes, a sense of peace washing over him as he fell asleep.

* * *

Sora was surprised to find Riku and Kairi asleep in the two chairs next to him, having half expected them to continue wallowing solitarily after he had broken up their discussion. Their ship was still on autopilot, but as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes he could see that they were approaching a planet. It was still far away; he could barely make out the land masses, let alone its structures. Sora walked into the vessel's small bedroom and changed back into his normal clothes, a pair of faded jeans and a black shirt with a yellow, red, and white stripe running across it. He'd grown fond of those colors, wishing he could still fit into the fairy clothes he had been given those years ago; drive forms had helped him out of so many dilemmas. Walking over to the small mirror that was nailed to the wall, Sora ran a comb through his unkempt hair, styling it in its usual messy but endearing way. He looked more deeply into the mirror, his nose inching closer to the glass as he looked into his own bright blue eyes. His irises fascinated him once in awhile; he had no idea why. Maybe it was because of the impossible color. People were supposed to be _muted_… having such a bright color as a natural part of him should have been impossible, but somehow it wasn't.

He was snapped out of his gaze by a yawn from the other room. He peered through the door to see Kairi stretching from her sleep.

"Morning," Sora said quietly.

She turned around slowly, smiling sleepily at Sora. "How long have you been up?"

He shrugged. "Ten, fifteen minutes tops. We're almost there. Look."

Kairi directed her attention to the front window of the ship, gasping as Disney Castle slowly came into view. She hopped up and shook Riku from his sleep.

"Get up; we're gonna land soon!"

Riku grumbled in protest, but after mumbling that the chair was too uncomfortable for him to fall asleep in again, succumbed to his state of wakefulness and sat up.

"I can't believe we finally made it," he said, his voice still scratchy and clouded with sleep.

Sora smiled, walking toward the window. "I know… pretty soon we'll be able to see Donald, Goofy, and the King!"

He really missed Donald and Goofy, and often reminisced about the journeys they had. He loved traveling with Riku and Kairi, but adventuring with them didn't give him that feeling of inexorable cheerfulness. They didn't tell him to be happy all the time because _they _weren't happy all the time. He wished he could still have that unrelenting sense of optimism that Donald and Goofy gave him. Perhaps a visit to Disney Castle would be good for his demeanor.

As they neared the planet, Sora switched the ship into manual and began to guide it toward the castle. Everything seemed at peace compared to Radiant Garden; from the distance he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. He guided the ship downward, the peaceful, uplifting atmosphere making him smile. Sora parked it outside the castle walls, disembarking as quickly as possible and running to the large gate.

Sora scratched his head. "Last time I parked in the Gummi hangar. I wonder how we get in?"

Kairi snickered. "Doorbells always work, Sora."

He made a face at her as she pressed the small button.

"Who is it?" a small voice sounded over the loudspeaker.

"Chip? Dale?" asked Sora. "It's Sora, Riku, and Kairi!"

"Sora!" the voice sounded utterly relieved and surprised. "Come on in; the King's been waiting for you!"

He smiled widely as the doors swung open, beckoning them into the symmetrical gardens surrounding the castle.

"Wow, this is beautiful," remarked Kairi, fingers grazing a pink flower as they walked toward the castle's entrance. Sora shrugged. He hadn't really noticed it before, having been slightly distracted by obnoxious bomb-like Heartless that tried to blow him up every time he swung at them.

Sora lead his friends into the castle and down the long, carpeted hallway.

"I'm pretty sure the throne room's down this-"

"SORA!" the synonymous voices of Donald and Goofy echoed through the hall as the duck and dog bolted toward him faster than he'd ever seen them move. Sora laughed, kneeling down and greeting them with a tight hug.

"Long time no see, guys," he grinned, letting go of his friends and standing once again.

"You got tall!" Donald remarked.

"Haha, yeah, it's a little easier to fight Heartless now."

"And you're with Riku and Kairi!" Goofy extended a palm to shake hands with both of them. "You're keepin' Sora outta trouble I hope?"

"As much as we can," Riku laughed. "But he's a troublemaker - ouch…"

Sora punched his friend teasingly but solidly in the shoulder. Their few minutes at Disney Castle had even lightened Riku's mood.

"The King's here, right?" Sora asked. As much as he would have liked to catch up with his friends, he knew they had to take care of business.

"Of course," Donald answered. "We've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Kairi laughed. "We got a little held up in Radiant Garden."

Sora raised an eyebrow. A little held up? There was the understatement of the century…

Donald and Goofy lead them to the King's library and conference room. Sora suspected he wasn't the type to like the formality of his throne room unless the situation called for it.

"Sora, Riku, Kairi!" he greeted them. "It's so good to see you again! You must've defeated Xehanort to open a path to get here. How'd you manage to do it?"

"It's a long story, Your Majesty…"

It took Sora the better part of an hour to explain what had happened on their adventure. He left out certain details, of course, because there were some things that just seemed _wrong _to tell anthropomorphic beings, but he covered the basics of their story.

King Mickey put a hand under his chin, contemplating Sora's account. "So you're sayin' the HRO has strongholds across the worlds?"

"That's what the old computer Leon found told us," Riku nodded.

"Hmm… I figured something like that was going on. Your next step should be to take out their strongest members. They're probably stationed on most of the worlds."

"We'd better move soon then," Sora nodded, looking from the King to Donald and Goofy. "Are you guys on board?"

"Gawrsh, Sora, I wish we could come," Goofy frowned. "But it's hard enough keepin' the Hybrids outta the castle walls. If we leave, everything'll go back to the way it was when they invaded."

"Oh, okay then," Sora said with a slight frown. He had been looking forward to traveling with Donald and Goofy again. They lightened the mood in a way that he, Riku, and Kairi couldn't.

"C'mon, Sora; cheer up!" Donald encouraged. "We'll see you again soon. You guys better come by and give us updates!"

"Yeah, of course we will," he nodded.

Sora knew they couldn't afford to stall on their mission. The worlds had been in disarray for long enough. They made to leave, waving back sadly to the friends with whom they had been reunited for too short a time. They walked back through the gardens, making their way to the heavily secured gate once again and waited for Chip and Dale to open the doors.

"Where to now?" asked Kairi as they climbed back into the ship.

"I have no idea," smirked Sora. And that was his favorite part of traveling to different worlds, the fact that he had no idea where the next path would lead him. He missed that ambiguity of traveling. The next path could lead him to Agrabah, Neverland, Twilight Town, or one of the worlds he'd never visited. His heart raced in excitement as he started up the ship in anticipation of their next adventure.

* * *

**Reviews **are always appreciated!

Thanks for reading!


	18. Portals

This chapter's a little different than previous ones I've written for this fic. I decided with all the gloom and doom through the majority of it, it needed a change in tone.

**DISCLAIMER: **Well, I was going to say something witty here, but I couldn't think of anything. Blah, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. :)

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: PORTALS

"This world makes me want to puke."

Sora silently agreed with Riku, because really, birds should not twitter around one's head in the middle of a picturesque forest. Deer should not frolic merrily in fields for the spectacle of a few foreign onlookers. And happy maidens most certainly shouldn't dance and sing, careening from window to window as though not a thing was wrong in the world.

"She's certainly… different," Kairi's voice was blunt, her mouth slightly agape as the red-haired maiden danced through the cottage.

"I think insane's the word you're searching for," Riku frowned.

"She _is _kinda hot though," admitted Sora.

Although he was still staring up at the tree house, he could feel the scathing glares Kairi and Riku were sending him.

"What? I can't look?" he defended, crossing his arms over his chest. "C'mon, Riku… You'd be lying if you told me you didn't think she was hot."

Riku raised his eyebrows in contemplation. "Okay, yeah, she is."

"Like your relationship status isn't complicated enough. Boys…" Kairi shook her head and scoffed indignantly. "Are you done gawking? Can we go talk to her and figure out where we landed? 'Cause the whole watching her from the window thing is pretty creepy."

Without waiting for an answer, Kairi approached the steps, beckoning Sora and Riku to follow. The stairs wound up the tree in the most charmingly erratic fashion. Sora was sure it only added to Riku's desire to hurl all over the pristine little world. When they reached the stoop, Kairi cleared her throat and braced herself as she knocked on the door.

"Coming!" the all-too-happy voice rang through the house. Sora could hear her soft steps twittering across the floor as she swung open the door enthusiastically.

Her green eyes lit up instantly at the three newcomers. She positively beamed as they sent her hesitant but friendly smiles.

"Oh, hello!" she clasped her hands together, still grinning toothily. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before, but it's always great to meet new people! Are you lost?"

"Um, yeah…" said Sora, scratching his head. "I'm Sora, he's Riku, and she's Kairi. We're from… a town that's pretty far away. Could you tell us where we are?"

"You're in Andalasia, of course!" she still refused to break the smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Giselle. My, you look starved! When was the last time you had a good meal?"

Sora shrugged. In Radiant Garden they had constantly been on the go and scarfed down food whenever they had the opportunity. They were all thin from that lifestyle, but far from starved.

"Oh, it must have been ages!" said Giselle, grabbing an apron from the hook on the door. "Come in; sit down. I'll whip you up something lickety-split!"

"Lickety…split…" murmured Riku incredulously, as though he couldn't quite fathom what the hell was wrong with this world.

At that, she ushered the three speechless travelers into her quaint home. Sora observed the place for the first time. It was a cozy little cottage. The sun beamed through screenless windows, their shutters open. A crooked wooden table sat in the center of the room, adorned with a basket of plump, red apples. The space was charmingly cluttered. A spinning wheel lay off in the corner, piles of thread and fabric laying near it. It had a fireplace and a fire-burning oven; the world was too primitive to have modern amenities. Sora felt as though he had stepped back several centuries… without the threat of catching leprosy or the plague.

"What would you like?" Giselle asked as she fluttered around the kitchen. "I can make bread, stew, chicken… whatever you want!"

"We appreciate the hospitality, but don't feel like you have to make us anything," said Kairi.

"Oh, no, no, no!" exclaimed the girl. "It's no problem whatsoever! Here in Andalasia we welcome guests with a proper meal. Where did you say you were from again?"

"Destin…i…a…" stuttered Sora. For as long as he'd gone trying to protect the sanctity of the worlds not knowing of each others' existence, he wasn't getting any better at it. "Destinia. We've come to Andalasia on official business."

Riku shot him a look that said 'are you kidding me?', but remained silent on the subject.

"Destinia?" wondered Giselle as she began to mix flour, water, and eggs in a bowl. "I've never heard of that kingdom before."

"It's really far away," Riku covered. "It might be uncharted here, actually."

"And you said you're here on business? Is it for your court? Are you _royalty_?"

Sora shrugged. Maybe that's the way it worked around here. "Um, yeah… royalty."

"So you're princes and a princess!" the naïve girl looked positively astounded. She dropped the battered spoon and put a hand to her mouth. "Your Highnesses! It's an absolute _pleasure _to meet you!"

Giselle curtsied. She actually curtsied. "I'm sorry if my tiny home isn't enough for you. You're more than welcome to-"

"It's great, Giselle," smiled Kairi as she glared at Sora, kicking him under the table. "We really appreciate your help."

She nodded and quickly recomposed herself. "You're so kind, Princess Kairi!"

"Just Kairi, please."

"You're humble, too," Giselle grinned. "Now, which one of these young princes is your true love?"

There was nothing Sora hated more than awkward silence. He avoided eye contact with his friends, waiting for them to come up with an excuse.

"We haven't really figured out… the whole… it's complicated," Kairi mumbled.

Giselle lowered her brow in confusion. "I don't understand. Which one rescued you? With which did you share true love's kiss?"

Kairi looked to Sora and Riku, but they stared back helplessly. "We've all rescued each other at some point or another. We're just friends. We've known each other since we were kids."

She must have figured a simple lie would fare better at the moment, but Sora worried about Giselle's inquisitive nature. Although naïve, he could tell the girl wasn't stupid. She knew something was off, but didn't press the matter any further as she began kneading the bread.

"Are you sure you don't want any help?" asked Sora. After all, she didn't have to go through the trouble of providing them so much hospitality in the first place.

"Oh, no, thank you," she smiled. "I've got all the help I need."

Giselle walked over to the window, clearing her throat as she placed a hand on her chest and began to sing. It wasn't a song per se, more like a jumble of notes tastefully strung together.

"What's she doing?" Riku whispered in Sora's ear.

"You got me…"

Just as Giselle stopped her song, no less than fifteen songbirds fluttered into her tiny cottage. She glided over to the door and let in two raccoons, four rabbits, a chipmunk, three squirrels, and a fawn that had somehow managed to climb the stairs.

"We have very special guests today," she addressed the animals. "And I'd like to prepare a meal just for them. Will you help me?"

The animals nodded enthusiastically.

"You have _got _to be kidding me," grumbled Riku so that only Sora and Kairi could hear.

Kairi glared at him and told him to be nice, but Sora internally agreed. This world was saturated in cheese. Stringy, gooey, bubbling cheese. He watched in amazement as the birds helped each other carry carrots to the table. The rabbits rolled potatoes across the counter, two stabilizing graters while the others cut the vegetables. The chipmunk sat on the fawn's back and directed him to fill a bucket with water from the pump. The raccoons used their nimble hands to wash dishes. All the while, Giselle danced around the kitchen, putting the dough in the oven, cutting up meat, and assembling the rest of the stew.

"I wish animals would flock to me when I sang," Kairi sighed, still in complete amazement of the whole scene.

"Maybe they would if you weren't completely tone deaf," laughed Sora, remembering mornings when she would get up early and wake him out of a dead sleep with her completely out of pitch songs.

She nudged him jokingly. "Like you can sing any better…"

He shrugged but kept silent. He had gone six years without telling his friends about his musical escapade in Atlantica. It was one of those things he intended to take to his grave.

They continued to watch in a mixture of stunned perplexity as the animals helped Giselle cook. Eventually they managed to get the stew boiling over the large pot in the fireplace. She thanked the animals for their help, and they scurried away as quickly as they had come.

"Wow," said Kairi, still amazed. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" asked Giselle.

"Call wild animals!"

Confusion hit the girl's brow. "What do you mean? Can't you do it too?"

Kairi smirked at her with stunned amazement. "No, and come to think of it, I've never seen anyone who can."

"Destinia must be very different from Andalasia," pondered Giselle as she filled three bowls with soup, handing one to each of her guests. She pulled the bread out of the oven and placed it in front of them, finally taking a seat at the table herself.

Sora nodded as he took a spoonful of soup. _Damn_, this was the best stew he'd ever tasted. Then again, judging by the state of the world they were in, he shouldn't have expected anything less.

"Thanks again, Giselle," smiled Sora. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"It's always my pleasure to help lost princes and princesses," she smiled. "After we're done, would you like me to take you into town? I'm sure the queen is expecting you."

Riku cleared his throat. "That'd be great. We should get down to business as soon as possible."

"It's only a three mile walk through the forest. I'd be more than happy to act as your guide!"

"Thanks, Giselle, but we wouldn't want to put you in any danger," said Kairi.

"Danger?" Giselle frowned for the first time. "Why would we run into danger? There are a few lumbering trolls, but nothing that could really hurt us."

"So you mean there haven't been any… strange creatures around here?" asked Sora. "They look kinda misshapen, unbalanced… but they're really strong."

"Oh, you mean the gray creatures?" her eyebrows perked up. "They don't harm anyone. The queen controls them and as long as we don't break any laws, they leave us alone."

"The queen controls them, huh?" said Riku. He looked skeptically from Kairi to Sora.

After finishing their meal, the three conceded to let Giselle guide them to the town, agreeing that she would be safe since the citizens seemed to be too terrified of the Hybrids to do anything. Still, they kept their Keyblades drawn in case of an emergency.

"What are those?" asked Giselle. Her constant inquisitive nature was beginning to become a bit of a burden, but Sora reminded himself of the hospitality she had given them.

"They're our swords," said Sora. "Look a bit different where we're from."

"Huh… I guess-"

"I see one!" Kairi whispered, raising her Keyblade in defense. Sora looked to the direction she was pointing. Standing off in the distance was a tall, looming Hybrid. Its legs were long and skinny, leading up to a bulky, muscled body with long arms that reached past its knees. It had no discernable face or eyes, but Sora knew it could feel their presence nonetheless.

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about!" Giselle assured them. "As long as we just keep walking and don't do anything wrong, it'll leave us alone."

"Then why is it running toward us at an alarming rate of speed?" asked Riku, his eyes wide as he prepared to strike at the giant Hybrid.

"Giselle, run!" warned Kairi. "We'll take care of it!"

The girl sprinted through the forest, tripping over her skirts as she tried to escape. Sora leaped at the Hybrid, lunging the Keyblade as its long arms tried to scoop up a fleeing Giselle. The Keyblade masters ran along with it, hitting it at every available moment. Riku dashed out in front of the Hybrid, trying to dissuade its attention from Giselle. His attempts were in vain; the monster scooped her up by the waist with its long, nimble fingers. The girl screamed, trying to free herself from its grip.

"Hang on; it's weakening!" Sora assured her as he jumped high to strike its hunched shoulders. Riku grabbed the beast's arm, swinging himself boldly onto its back. The Hybrid seemed like it was in no mood to leave Giselle in peace while the others tried to take it down. He struck it heavily on the head and jumped down, catching Giselle the instant before she tumbled onto the ground.

For several seconds they all stood in silence, catching their breath as the Hybrid disappeared in a cloud of gray mist. It was a few moments before Sora realized Giselle was still clinging to Riku, smiling up at him with misty eyes and a wide grin.

"Oh, Prince Riku, you saved my life!"

"It's not a big d-"

And then she began to sing. Again. Only this time it wasn't the forest she was addressing. No, this time she sang to only Riku, declaring her undying love as she swooned in his arms.

He held her like one might hold a crying baby the hope that their parents would take them away to change their soiled their diaper. Riku looked at her with wide eyes, his mouth somewhere between a sneer and an expression asking 'what the hell is going on?'.

"Oh, ever since I was orphaned as a child and raised by my good aunt, I knew this day would come," she gushed. "She'll be _thrilled _to hear the news!"

"What news?" asked Kairi, trembling as a result of keeping her laughter at bay.

Sora stared at the pair with both amusement and jealousy. Riku clearly looked confused and uncomfortable, but still, the way Giselle was hanging off of him made Sora feel a twinge of resentment.

"We're to be married, of course!" she squeezed him even tighter.

"M… married?" Riku stumbled backward, letting go of her. He subsequently tripped over a root and fell on his ass.

"Of course! It's destiny, isn't it? You're a prince, I'm a fair maiden… and you're from the kingdom of Destinia! Oh, this is perfect!"

"G…Giselle," Riku stood and brushed himself off, trying to regain his bearings. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

She tilted her head to the side. "But… but it's perfect…" she repeated. "I don't understand…"

"I barely know you."

"What do you think marriage is for? To get to know each other!" she smiled again. "Oh, Riku, you might be reluctant now, but you'll see! We can talk about this later. Come on, we're almost to town!"

"Why do you think that thing attacked us?" Sora asked Kairi in an attempt to move the conversation away from the supposed engagement between Riku and Giselle. Riku was letting himself be reluctantly dragged ahead of them; Sora guessed it was because it was easier for the time being.

"Because we've got Keyblades," shrugged Kairi. "That's the reason Hybrids, Heartless, and Nobodies attack us so much, isn't it? This… queen of theirs, I'm sure she knows about the existence of other worlds, about Ansem, Keyblades, Hybrids… she's connected somehow."

Sora nodded in agreement. "She must be in collaborating with the HRO. But still… I wonder what she's getting out of it."

"What are they usually after when they decide to join sides with Darkness?" asked Kairi rhetorically. Sora was only half paying attention, his thoughts and eyes diverted back to Riku and Giselle. He frowned. Riku seemed slightly less… uncomfortable now.

"Did you hear anything I said?" asked Kairi.

"Huh?"

"Oh, I see," Kairi snickered at the forms of Riku and Giselle, now further ahead of them as Kairi slowed her pace. "You're _jealous_, aren't you?"

"Jealous?" Sora raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Jealous of what?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me," Kairi warned teasingly. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

He sighed, lowering his voice. "Honestly, I wasn't even sure if Riku _liked _girls before he said Giselle was hot."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Your communication is top-notch, let me tell you… You're forgetting the part where he also said she was insane."

He chuckled softly. "It was a good way of putting it. If that's any indication of how the rest of this world is, well… It should be a blast."

Kairi bit her bottom lip. "When did you become so… cynical?"

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Well, before this adventure began, you wouldn't have batted an eye at the eccentricity of Andalasia. You would've accepted its happy atmosphere… smiled at Giselle's ability to summon animals. Now, instead of seeing it as a break from all of Radiant Garden's bleakness, you mock it. You've really changed, Sora."

The truth of Kairi's words sunk in through his tough exterior. Had he really changed that much? He'd seen such anomalies in Wonderland and Agrabah years before, but back then he had been overcome with wonder and awe at the strangeness of those worlds. Why did he feel the need to put down Giselle's optimism and consider her ridiculous just because she held a different set of ideals from his own? Had Kairi's 'death' had that much of an effect on him? He had been depressed for months, that was certain. He'd lost every hope of ever seeing her again. But that didn't mean he had completely lost his sense of optimism. He had learned to love again, to let go of Kairi. But that love had been different. With Kairi, he had always felt as though he were living in a fairy tale. On Destiny Islands they had spent almost every moment together. Their love was ideal, esoteric… but his love for Riku felt completely different. It was more tangible, more realistic, more grounded. His love for Kairi was based on falling stars and daring rescues, on elevated ideals and young musings. His love for Riku, though… That was based on the strong binds of friendship that had existed before they could even remember. On broken promises and bloody battles that left them both on the brink of death. On the forgiveness of a battered friendship that had against all odds managed to repair itself. It was screwed up, trusting, concrete, real.

That, he realized, was why he had changed. Perhaps during his time away from Kairi he had shut those idealistic daydreams out of his mind. A coping mechanism? Maybe. Regardless of how much he hypothesized as to why he had changed, he couldn't let go of the fact that it had happened nonetheless.

"But you've changed too, Kairi," he frowned. "When I first saw you again I hardly recognized you."

"My hair will be red again soon enough," she shrugged. "I can already see some of the roots coming in."

"I didn't mean only physically," said Sora. "Once you started… you know, going on missions with Riku and me, you changed. Darkness made its way into your heart. Maybe that change wasn't all that noticeable, but when you came back from Gaia it was like you were a different person."

She shook her head. "No, Sora. It wasn't because I was in nothingness for so long. And it wasn't because of Gaia."

The implication of her words sunk in. He closed his eyes for the briefest moment. It was because of him. Because he had lost all hope of her returning. Because he had thought she was dead. Because he had let her go. Seeing himself and Riku together… he couldn't imagine that had been easy. His heart tore in two when he considered how he would feel if the two of them decided to get together.

He blinked profusely to stop the tears from falling onto his cheeks. "Kairi, I know I've said it a million times, but I'm so sorry."

She looked up at him, her eyes shadowed in grief. "But what are you sorry for? For accidentally hurting me in circumstances you could've never imagined? For falling in love with your best friend?"

"For… everything."

"No, Sora. I won't let you be. Things happened, and we should all be aware of what they were. But none of us should apologize for situations out of our control."

Sora and Kairi continued to walk in silence. He watched in a mixture of amusement, sadness, and jealousy as Giselle sang to Riku, twirling long silver strands around her fingers.

"Here we are!" chimed Giselle as Riku slinked away from her slightly.

He looked ahead to the approaching village. It was quaint, decorated in whitewashed, thatch-roofed cottages along cobblestone streets that led to towering gray castle.

"Does the Queen know you're coming?" she asked, finally letting go of her unrelenting grip on Riku as they fell back into step with Sora and Kairi. Riku breathed a sigh of relief, his body relaxing.

"I doubt it," frowned Sora. "This is our first attempt to make contact with Andalasia."

"Hmm," she considered. "We'll probably have to wait for awhile then."

"Not if _we _have anything to do with it," Kairi smiled slyly. She grabbed Riku by the wrist and began to drag him away.

"Where are you guys going?" asked Sora.

Kairi whispered something to Riku, who smiled back at the disappearing forms of Sora and Giselle.

"We'll be back," he smiled mischievously. "Watch out for Giselle, will you?"

Giselle looked at Sora confusedly. "But… where is she taking Prince Riku?"

Sora smiled wryly. "They'll be back; they're probably just trying to sneak in or something."

The girl put her hands on her hips. "Well, there are much nicer ways of going about that. We wouldn't want to upset the good Queen Narissa, would we?"

Sora remained silent. He was pretty sure that was the point.

Giselle scurried up to one of the stoic guards outside the castle. "Excuse me, but I have a friend who requests an audience from the Queen."

The slovenly guard sized up Sora. "And what makes _him _so special?"

"He's a prince," she pointed. "Prince Sora of Destinia!"

Sora rolled his eyes. Yes, Giselle, this was a brilliant plan.

"Destinia, eh?" the guard snorted. "Never heard of it."

"It's far away," Sora decided he needed to butt in if there was any hope of salvaging their attempt. "I'm here to discuss an alliance between our two kingdoms. We have a Hybrid army of our own, you know."

The guard's eyes widened at the word. "I'll… I'll check with my higher ups, sir."

"Thank you," Sora nodded contently as the guard left his post. He stood silently with Giselle, digging his foot into the ground as he waited. Mere minutes later, the guard returned as he ran to the castle's entrance, completely out of breath.

"She said… she'll see you… immediately," he doubled over, trying to catch his breath.

Apparently their diplomacy worked better than Kairi's scheme. The guard beckoned them through the castle's entrance and into a large courtyard.

"She'll meet you here," he informed them before returning to his post.

"Be careful," Sora warned, his eyes darting erratically around the garden. "She may be your queen, but I don't trust her."

Giselle ignored his words began prancing around the large courtyard, remarking at every last beautiful detail. She mentioned the trees, with their draping pink blossoms, the bright orange tiger lilies, the picturesque stream that flowed into a crystal spring, and the ivy-draped wishing well that lay tastefully in the middle of the space.

"You must be Prince Sora of Destinia," a cold feminine voice remarked behind him.

Sora turned around quickly to see the figure of a tall woman with long, black hair tied behind her head. She wore a tapered black dress, wiry fingers clinging to a staff. Sora had seen that look before. This queen was a sorceress.

He nodded, unwilling to give up his true motive yet. "Yes. We've been traveling for months, looking for-"

Narissa interrupted his speech with cackling laughter. "Cut the crap, hon. What, you think I'm some… simpleton Andalasian who doesn't know of the existence of other worlds? You don't think that the _instant _that guard told me your name was Sora and you mentioned Hybrids that I knew you were the Keyblade master, here to destroy my plan?"

Sora braced himself, but didn't call his weapon yet. "You're working with the Hybrid Revolutionary Organization, aren't you?"

"My, my, you're quick to accuse," she said lazily, strumming her fingers on the staff. "Tell me, Sora, with the advantage of my own turf, why should _I _tell _you _anything?"

That was it. This woman was really getting to him. He felt Ultima appear in his hand. He looked at it confusedly. Ultima? What had happened to his Adamant Keyblade? He'd had it mere minutes before. Sora gulped. Ultima was still a great Keyblade; it would have to suffice. He would worry about his other keychain later.

"So it's going to be a fight, I suppose," she smiled wryly. "But you see, I don't like the odds here," she motioned to Giselle, but the girl was too immersed in the magnificence of the courtyard to pay them any heed.

"She doesn't count," growled Sora. "That girl has no idea what's going on. She's not involved at all. Leave her out of it."

"Excuses, excuses," the queen lulled. "Young maiden, what's your name?"

"Giselle, Your Highness," the girl curtsied, still oblivious to the implications of the situation.

"Giselle, sweetheart… break yourself off a branch if you wish to have any chance of survival."

The girl looked at the sorceress queen confusedly.

Sora glared. "You wouldn't."

Narissa smirked. "Of course I would."

"You evil bitch."

Sora shook with rage, unable to understand how she could bring the innocent Giselle into this battle. The girl knew nothing of the outside worlds; she was completely disconnected from their situation. No, Sora knew the queen was using her to disadvantage him. He would have to protect both her and himself while fighting the queen and her cohort.

He looked back uneasily as a terrified Giselle tried to tear a small branch off of one of the saplings. Sora frowned piteously. "Giselle, you don't have to do that. She's mocking you." He turned back to the queen. "Can't you at least give her a decent weapon?"

"I'll leave that up to my… _ally _to decide. She should be here any second now," Narissa sneered.

He watched apprehensively as a dark portal began to form between himself and the queen. Sora watched in shock as it exposed the feet, the staff, the horned cap, the robes of the person he hated beyond all others.

"Sora, I'd like you to meet my dear cousin-"

"Maleficent," he glowered.

"Ah, I see you've met," the queen's lips curled into a defiant smirk.

"Of course we've met!" snarled Sora. "What, she never told you about the time I kicked her ass?"

"Enough."

Maleficent's voice overpowered their bickering. "The Keyblade Master and I had our differences in the past, differences that we managed to sort through to defeat a common enemy several years back. However, Sora, you now threaten another plan that I had hoped to carry out. I cannot let you destroy it."

Sora narrowed his eyes, raising his Keyblade threateningly. "And I can't let you keep killing innocent people."

She cocked an eyebrow. "You know, you're _slightly _more intimidating than you once were."

"Gee, thanks. That means a lot to me," he spurted sarcastically.

"You never learn, do you?" said Maleficent coldly. "After all these years, it's about time I put you in your place!"

The last words hurled out from her throat, bellowing as she raised her staff over her head. A powerful green wave erupted from it, knocking Sora and Giselle to the ground. The girl screamed in pain as Sora stood shakily from the impact, charging at Maleficent.

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE HER OUT OF IT!"

He struck her with the Keyblade over and over before she managed to cast a strong Dark Lightning spell, sending his jolted body flying backward. He shivered from the pain of the electric shock, regaining his footing as he charged at Maleficent once more. She blocked his attack with a reflect spell, sending him backward in a daze. Sora watched in horror as the queen took Sora's distraction as an advantage. She conjured a strong wind spell, knocking Giselle backward and into the well.

"Giselle!" yelled Sora. He ran to the well, looking carefully into it.

"A.. portal?" he asked confusedly at the swirling mist. He turned around. "Where'd you send her?"

Maleficent laughed coldly. "To a place where there _are _no happy endings."

For a single moment Sora looked back at the two sorceresses in pure loathing. They smiled, daring him to attack. Knowing he had more important things to deal with, he took a deep breath and plunged himself into the well.

* * *

"I'll give you a foot up."

"But I'm not strong enough to lift your fat load off the ground!"

"Ouch, Kairi."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, here. I'll give _you _a foot up and you can pull me up. Unless, of course, you're not strong enough and that's what you were afraid of the entire time…"

Riku shook his head. "Now you're just being cruel and unfair."

Kairi grinned innocently. "Now why would I do a thing like that?" She cupped her hands together, bracing herself for Riku's weight. He stepped as lightly as possible onto her hands and hoisted himself up, clinging to the stone window sill. Kairi watched as his shoes caught the traction on the stone. Slowly he pulled himself through the window.

"Okay, Mr. Macho," she teased, raising her hands up for him to grab. He pulled her up so she could hoist herself through the window. She landed lightly on her feet, observing the dank hallway.

"Which way do we go?" asked Kairi.

"How am I supposed to know?" grumbled Riku. "This whole thing was your idea, not mine."

"Oh, c'mon; stop being such a grouch," she smiled wryly. "Did Giselle steal your sense of humor along with your heart?"

Riku shook his head, the semblance of a laugh at his breath. "You guys are _never _gonna let me live this one down, are you?"

"Most likely not," grinned Kairi as she peered along the hallway to make sure no one was coming. It was oddly deserted. Perhaps the outside security was so steadfast that they felt it was unneeded on the interior. After a few moments of silence, she decided to press an issue, despite realizing that it was a completely inappropriate time to do so. "Sora's jealous, you know."

Riku looked at her confusedly. "Jealous of… Giselle acting like a psychotic stalker?"

"He didn't even know you liked girls until today."

"I've had girlfriends before; he knows that," Riku defended.

"Like that means anything," Kairi rolled her eyes. "And the fact that you guys didn't even address that? I just… do you ever talk?"

"Of course," Riku shrugged simply. "Sora's my best friend. We talk about most things. It's just that communicating things that have to do with our… situation-"

"Relationship, Riku," Kairi said sternly. "Your and Sora's _relationship_. There, I said it and the world didn't end. What're you so ashamed of anyway? Especially around me of all people?"

"It's just… hard to talk about," admitted Riku. "I know it's childish."

Kairi put a hand on his shoulder in empathy as they continued down the corridor. She didn't consider it childish. Since when was fear ever childish? Arrogance, boastfulness, false bravery… those things were childish. Never fear, especially a legitimate one.

"Who all knows, anyway?" she asked in an attempt to get him to talk about it.

"Just Yuffie," he admitted. "Probably Aerith, but we're not really sure. You know, this probably isn't the best place and time to talk about it. Can't we save it?"

"Fine," Kairi whispered. Damn it, she'd just gotten him to open up a little.

They crept along the hallway, making their way into one of the rooms. Riku held his breath as he opened a creaky wooden door, stealthily stepping through it as Kairi did the same. It opened up to a large bedroom, a towering four poster bed looming in the corner of the dark room, lit only by the sunlight that shined through its small window. It was decorated in fine rugs and tapestries, all matching the bed's thick red comforter. On the opposite wall hung a life size painting of a man adorned in the finest medieval garb. He posed with his sword, a regal expression on his brow.

"Huh," Kairi stared up at the portrait, a confused expression on her face. "He must be a prince or something."

"Maybe we can pawn Giselle off on him," Riku laughed.

Kairi grinned sadistically. "She's found her true love. Sorry, but you're-"

"Filthy peasants!" a voice boomed through the room. "What are you doing in my bedchamber?"

Kairi whipped around quickly. Her eyes meeting those of the startled man matching the appearance of the one in the painting.

"Look, I'm sorry; this is a huge misunderstanding," Kairi started. "There was a lot of security at the front gate and we just wanted to talk to the queen because, well, it's really important; you see we're from a kingdom that's far away and we were really worried about the fact that you guys keep Hybrids under your control and-"

"Hybrids?" the man stopped her rambling. "How do you know what they're called?"

"It's a long story," Riku shook his head, hoping it would suffice.

"One that you can certainly tell from the dungeon!" the man accused.

Kairi took a deep breath, at complete disbelief with herself for what she was about to do. She made her eyes grow wide and she fashioned a small frown on her lips. "Please…" she looked at the description on the picture frame. "Please, Prince Edward. It attacked me. One of those awful beasts in the forest attacked me. I almost perished at its evil hand. If it hadn't been for Riku here, I'd probably be dead."

Prince Edward's face turned from one of stony accusation to softened empathy. "You poor, innocent maiden! Narissa said they wouldn't attack anyone… I _knew _she was wrong. Come, I'll get you an audience with her immediately, Miss…"

"Kairi."

"At once, Kairi. And you, Riku, who were so brave to defend her. The Kingdom smiles upon such chivalry."

"Uh, yeah," Riku ran a hand through his hair as he looked from one to the other in disbelief.

Prince Edward led them through his chambers and into the main hall of the castle. It had steep cathedral ceilings and was adorned only with a long red carpet that lead to an empty throne.

"Where is the queen?" Edward asked one of the guards at the door.

"She's holding a council with someone in the courtyard, sir."

Edward thanked the guards and lead Kairi and Riku through the elegant halls of the castle and out to the courtyard. A lone woman stood staring into the well as she masked loud sobs with her hand.

"Narissa, what's wrong?" asked Edward.

"Edward dear, it's horrible!"

Kairi frowned at her contrived performance. She didn't trust this woman one bit.

"What happened?" asked Riku bluntly.

"That… that horrible witch b-betrayed me!" she wailed. "I was just trying to - to talk to these two subjects, and-"

Kairi pursed her lips, knowing she was talking about Sora and Giselle.

"What happened to them?" Riku repeated.

"She sent them away!" the dramatic act was making Kairi physically ill.

The queen pointed at the well. Kairi approached it, peering cautiously at the swirling mist.

"You sent them to another world, didn't you?" Kairi growled angrily. "Where'd you send them?"

"Dear child, please don't accuse me," Narissa said innocently. "It was that evil witch!"

"Maleficent," Riku snapped.

"Yes, yes! That's her name!"

Kairi looked to Riku. "Recon?"

"We have to," Riku clenched his fists, his expression positively furious.

"I will gladly aid in your quest," Prince Edward nodded sternly. "Narissa, fear not! We will return. Kairi, it's probably best that you stay here. I'll see to it that you're taken care of."

"Sure, Prince Edward," having no intention of listening to him, Kairi simply smiled.

At that, the prince braced himself and jumped into the well, disappearing as the portal swept him to a new world. Riku followed in suit, glaring at the queen in mistrust as he disappeared.

"We'll be back," Kairi slung her legs over the well, leaving the implication of her words for the queen to decide as she plunged into the portal.

"That's what you think," Narissa laughed. She wasn't going to see _them _any time soon.

* * *

Yep, Andalasia. It's not done very often in fanfiction, so I thought I'd try it out!

Happy St. Patty's Day! Don't drink TOO much green beer! ;)

Thanks for reading!


	19. Conversation

Notes and Apologies: I am so sorry this took me almost a month to update. It has to do with a mixture of real life, laziness, trouble writing scenes, and accidentally deleting the entire chapter temporarily... Chapter 19 has been one discombobulated mess of a project, let me tell you what. Anyway, here it is, _finally_.

Capeircorn: I tried to respond to your PM, but you have PMs disabled. I'd be happy to answer if you enable it.

Andromeda: I tried to email you, but it told me your address didn't exist. Maybe you typed something incorrectly?

**DISCLAIMER: **Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square Enix and Disney. I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER NINETEEN: CONVERSATION

One minute he was spinning through a portal, and the next he was knee-deep in water. Stagnant water that smelled a bit too much like sewage, to be precise. Sora cringed as his nose took in the horribly dank smell. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dimly lit corridor as he stared up at the only pinprick of light that shined into the dismal place.

"Giselle!" he yelled. "Giselle! Can you hear me?"

"I'm right here!" he heard her voice echo through the cavern, feet scurrying to where he stood. "How did this happen? Where are we?"

"Your queen transported us to another world," Sora said. "Where that world is, I have no idea."

He looked back up at the small light that radiated into their prison. As he inched toward it, he could hear the rumbling of vehicles on the streets above. Great, they were in the sewers. Sora took a deep breath and lifted up the manhole cover, peeping up at the world above. He lifted himself onto the street, giving Giselle a hand as she scampered onto the pavement.

"Hey, assholes! Get the fuck outta the middle of the street!"

Sora jumped backward. The car stopped within an inch of hitting him and Giselle. He grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the sidewalk.

"Sora, where… are we?"

He was unable to keep his focus as his eyes adjusted to the new world. It was bright, neon, loud, tall, _bustling_. The buildings reached higher than any he had ever seen before. Cars zoomed past in a fury of lights. Signs blinked on and off obnoxiously, beckoning passersby to purchase the latest merchandise.

"I have… no idea."

Finally gathering his bearings and pushing the insanity of the world to the back of his mind, Sora decided to figure out where they had landed.

"Excuse me," he said to a man standing near them. "Can you tell me where we are?"

The balding man looked at him as though he were both stupid and insane. "Times Square, where'd you think? Dumbass tourists… you ruin the town, ya know?"

Sora murmured a sarcastic "thanks" before pulling Giselle off to the side. "Look, this is… crazier than any world I've been to before."

"Worlds?" Giselle's eyes widened. "There are worlds besides ours and this one?"

"I'm not actually… from your world," Sora admitted. "We only arrived a few minutes before we ran into you."

"So you're not from Destinia?"

Sora shook his head. "There's no such place. Riku, Kairi, and I are from a world called Destiny Islands. And we're not royalty; we're just regular people who're trying to stop the Hybrids."

She furrowed her brow. "So why did you lie then?"

"We're not supposed to tell people we're from another world because most of them don't know that they even exist."

"But why did you tell me?"

Sora smiled. "Well, the secret's blown because we're kinda _in _another world… and I haven't figured out how to get back yet."

"You think we can though?"

"There's always a way," Sora assured her. "Look, it's been a long day. Why don't we get something to eat and figure out what we're going to do from there?"

This world, Sora decided, was the most insane place he had ever been. The acid trip that was the End of the World was nothing compared to… what had the man called it? Times Square. The bright lights were mesmerizing, and Sora found it difficult to keep his concentration on the task at hand. Giselle was having an even more difficult time than him; the girl had never seen such advances in technology as electricity and automobiles. Sora had certainly never seen it at such a concentrated level before. He led Giselle down a few side streets, trying to get away from the inner city. His attempt, he soon realized, was futile. Every street he walked down was just as busy as the last. He finally accepted his fate with the strong growl of his stomach. With the absence of a native guide, neither Sora nor Giselle had any idea of what to do or where to go. They reluctantly decided on a quaint corner restaurant. Its faded fluorescent sign read: Marco's Pizzeria and Italian Eatery. As they entered, Sora took in the run-down yet hospitable atmosphere. Following the advice to 'please seat yourself', they took a place at one of the many red booths in the restaurant.

"Wanna just get a pizza?" Sora suggested.

"What's a pizza?"

He smirked. Of course she didn't know what a pizza was; she lived in a romanticized version of the Middle Ages. "It's like… dough with tomato sauce and cheese on it. It's really good; trust me."

Moments later they were greeted by their server. The vapid woman was in her late twenties, Sora would have guessed. Her dark, impossibly curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail, straight bangs framing her face. She chomped on a piece of gum as she greeted them.

"Hi, I'm Vikki; I'll be your server today," she had a strange accent; Sora couldn't place it. 'What can I getcha?"

"Can we get a medium cheese pizza?" Sora ordered.

"Anything to drink?"

"Yeah… I'll have a cola,"

"Coke okay?"

"Um… Sure?"

"And for you, miss?"

"Er… same, please!"

"Okay," said Vikki, scribbling the order into her notebook. "I'll be back in a sec with your drinks."

Sora sighed, leaning back in his chair. This was normal enough. Extreme, sure, but with a little effort, he was sure he wouldn't have too much trouble blending into the culture. Giselle, on the other hand… well, _that _he worried about. She had been staring at the fake tiffany lamp above their table for over a minute.

"How do they keep the candle burning inside the glass?" she asked. "And how do they make it so bright?"

"It's not a candle," explained Sora. "It runs on electricity. It's hooked up to wires inside the building that are connected to a big power grid."

"How does a power grid work?"

"I don't know," Sora admitted. Must have been off adventuring during that science class.

"And those horseless carriages… that's astonishing, isn't it?"

Sora explained what limited information he know about cars, but his synopsis still left Giselle confused. Someone with a fourteenth century perspective on technology would certainly have trouble understanding principles that wouldn't be discovered until hundreds of years later.

Vikki returned with their drinks and pizza, carefully balancing it all on a circular tray. She told them to 'enjoy', and scurried away to fill another order.

Giselle looked at her drink with astonishment. She stuck her finger in, pulling it away immediately as the bubbles fizzed around it. "Sora, what _is _this?"

He chuckled. "It's pop. Try it, seriously. It's good."

"But… it looks like a deadly poison!"

Sora picked up his drink and took a sip. "No harm done, see?"

She put the straw to her lips hesitantly, jumping back a bit as the carbonation touched her tongue. She had just as much fun with the pizza, astounded by the infinitely stretchy mozzarella. Eventually the novelty value of pizza and pop began to wear off, and she was able to start a real conversation.

"So Riku's not really a prince, is he?" asked Giselle with a slight look of disappointment.

"Nope, he's just a commoner like the rest of us. We don't even have royalty where we come from."

"Oh well, that's okay," she picked herself up. "The important thing is that he's chivalrous and he loves me. I don't need a big, fancy castle, just as long as I have love."

Sora gripped his glass a bit too tight. He knew Giselle was clueless, but her unrelenting comments about Riku were really starting to get to him. At first they had just jabbed at him slightly, but once the shock of being on another world seemed to lessen, Giselle mentioned Riku constantly. Sora could only keep quiet about something for so long, and he knew his breaking point was coming.

They finished their meal and paid the server with the strange bills his munny had turned into. When Sora asked her if they took the currency, she laughed and said "This is America, ain't it?" He decided not to question it. At least he could pay for things.

Deciding that the city probably wasn't the safest place for a Medieval maiden to be at night, Sora made to find a hotel so they could think and figure out what to do with their situation. He was sure Riku and Kairi would be on their way soon; there was no stopping them once they found out what had happened. He and Giselle found a hotel just a few blocks from Marco's. It was small and a bit run down, much like the restaurant, but it was clean and the people who worked there were good-natured. He ordered a room with two twin beds, much to the surprise of the check-in clerk.

"Damn… you're with _her _and you're not gettin' any?" he asked.

Sora sighed. "She's my _cousin_."

"Oh, oops. Sorry, dude."

Sora took the key and began his ascent to the third floor, Giselle following close behind.

Their room was small, but the floor was vacuumed, the bathroom was clean, and the beds were made and in pristine shape. Sora immediately walked over to the sink and washed his face, the warm water soothing his mind. When he finished he fell onto his bed in a heavy heap, exhausted limbs relaxing for the first time all day.

"Getting out of this world is going to take a hell of a lot of effort," he murmured. He couldn't lie to her forever.

Giselle sat on the edge of her bed, carefully brushing her curls with one of the cheap, plastic combs she had found in the bathroom. "But I'm sure Riku will find us! And who knows… maybe we'll share true love's first kiss when he does…" She flopped down on the mattress dramatically, sighing dreamily as she did so.

"Knock it off, will you?" Sora grumbled as he switched off the light. The moon shone through, illuminating the perturbation on his face. "Besides, I'm more than capable of getting us out of here. You don't need Riku to come to your rescue."

"I don't understand," Giselle frowned, propping herself up on an elbow. "Why do you get so mad when I mention my engagement to your friend?"

Sora buried his head in his pillow to calm himself down before addressing her. "Because! Because you're not engaged; you're delusional. Riku doesn't love you. He loves… someone else."

He let out an anxious breath as he rolled onto his back, bracing himself for Giselle's list of unrelenting questions. Sora refused to meet the desperation in her eyes.

"Why didn't he say anything before?"

"He tried… you wouldn't listen."

"Is that why he acted so distant? Not because he was shy, but because he loved another?"

"Yeah."

"Who?"

Sora groaned, bracing himself for an inevitable conversation he wished he could avoid. "It doesn't matter."

"But of course it does! Is it Kairi?"

"No…"

"A girl from Destiny Islands? Or one of the other places you visited?"

Sora shook his head.

"I don't understand," Giselle said as she twirled a curl pensively. "Where else would he have met a girl?"

"It's not a girl," Sora almost wished he could rebuke the phrase that had slipped from his tongue, but in a twisted way he almost enjoyed the ambiguity of his words, the danger of coming so close to willingly outing his feelings.

"If it's not a girl, then…" she paused as though she were about to say something sordid. "_A boy_?" The question was barely a whisper.

Sora gulped, but didn't respond.

"It's a boy, isn't it?" she pressed. "But how-"

"I'll explain it to you when you're older," he rolled on his side to avoid her eyes.

She was relentless in her questioning. "But who is it?"

Sora bolted up in bed, facing her for the first time. "Is it honestly not _completely _obvious to you?"

"I just didn't want to-"

"It's me, okay?" Sora flopped back and covered his eyes with the pillow but kept his mouth exposed. If he was going to do this, damn it, he was going to make himself loud and clear. "I love Riku. He loves me back. We used to be together, but we broke up when we found out Kairi was still alive. It only seemed fair… I mean, I was in a relationship with Kairi before we thought she died…"

Giselle furrowed her brow. "So you broke up with Riku to get back together with Kairi?"

"No, not exactly…" this was more complicated than he had thought. "It was the only way to get her to come back to us. Besides, I thought I was still in love with her then."

"And you're not anymore?"

Sora sighed. This was the one question he had been blocking out of his mind more than all the others. _Did _he love Kairi romantically anymore, or was he lost more in the idea of her, the person she had been before the endless mind numbing battles and loss of self in that realm of nothingness? She was so different from the girl he had fallen in love with; that sweet, innocent girl who he wished to protect beyond everyone else. But didn't that change make her more like the kind of person he was?

"Sometimes I wonder why I fell in love with Kairi in the first place," he admitted, not entirely sure why he was telling this girl he had just met that day his most intimate secrets (okay, maybe not _most _intimate, but close enough). "Was it because I was _supposed _to love her? I mean, think of all the fairytales. Ha, I guess you don't have to; you live in one. The prince always rescues the princess and they fall in love and live happily ever after, right?"

Giselle nodded enthusiastically as though Sora was, for the first time, understanding her world.

"Well, maybe that's why I loved her," he continued. "Because of that ideal. The hero isn't supposed to fall for his best friend-turned enemy who tried to kill him on more than one occasion and eventually reconciled with, is he?"

"Not in my world," Giselle laughed sadly. "But in this world I could see it happening. The people here are so unique, so different. Why is such a thing so hard to believe?"

Sora tried a crooked smile. "So you don't… hate me?"

Giselle shook her head, looking confused. "How could I possibly hate you, Sora? You saved my life, guided me through this city… You're clearly more in love with him than I am. You two have known each other since you were children. How could I even consider interfering?"

He looked over at her gratefully, but noticed a tear fall from her eye.

"Giselle, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" she smiled sadly, quickly wiping away the tear. "Not all worlds are like Andalasia. I see that now. I can't expect everyone to follow the ways of Andalasia, can I?"

Sora frowned. He really did feel bad for her. "You'll get your prince."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

But of course life had jaded Sora too much in recent months for him to believe a single word that came out of his mouth.

* * *

"Make way, simple peasants! I am on a quest to rescue the lady Giselle!" Prince Edward bellowed through the crowded streets. He leaped through the frenzy of cars, making his way onto the sidewalk and grabbing a particularly scruffy looking man by the collar of his shirt. "Where is she, fowl hermit?"

Really, this was unbelievable. They had been in this world for no more than thirty seconds and Prince Edward had already managed to make a fool out of himself and draw attention to their entire operation. So much for blending in with the population.

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked the man as he struggled to free himself from Edward's death grip. "Get the fuck away from me, you psychopath!"

Deciding he had to do something about Edward's behavior, Riku darted across the street, trying to pull the zealous prince away from the terrified man.

"Okay, c'mon, Ed," Riku grabbed him by the shoulders. "He escaped from the institution. Thinks he's a prince. I'm really sorry about this…"

"You better get him recommitted," grumbled the man as he rushed away as quickly as possible.

"Unbelievable!" scoffed Edward. "To think he would treat royalty in such a manner!"

"You're not royalty here," Kairi appeared at Riku's shoulder. "To them you're just a crazy guy trying to strangle innocent people. Sora and Giselle could be anywhere, and I doubt that guy knows where they are."

Edward looked down at her in amazement. "Kairi? How did you get here? I thought I told you to stay at the castle where you would be safe!"

She smiled wryly. "I'm not as helpless as you might think."

"But you're a lady!" Edward defended. "It's my duty to protect your dignity and honor, to place you on a pedestal-"

"She's more than capable of protecting her own dignity and honor; trust me," said Riku dryly. "Kairi, I think we need to explain some things…"

Kairi grabbed Edward by the arm and lead him and Riku to a bench near an empty bus stop.

"You've heard the theory that there are other worlds, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Edward nodded. "I thought the stories were just old fables, but now I see they actually exist."

"Exactly," nodded Kairi. "And Riku, Sora, and I, we're not exactly from Andalasia. We're from one of those worlds. It's our job to go around and destroy the Hybrids that have been infiltrating the worlds. Your world was one of many that we have to save. And I hate to say it… but I think Queen Narissa's in on some pretty evil stuff."

"Why would you say such a thing?" The prince looked flabbergasted, insulted.

Riku decided to intercede, choosing his words carefully. "Look: we think she might be in league with Maleficent. She might've been the one to send Giselle here. Sora could've defeated both of them, but I'm guessing he jumped down the well to save Giselle instead."

Edward looked at them suspiciously, his brow furrowing in mistrust. "How do I know you two aren't behind this? Perhaps your friend Sora is the one who captured Giselle. And you two led me away from my world so that Narissa was left defenseless!"

The prince glanced around erratically, ignoring the hoards of bystanders as he drew his sword on Riku and Kairi. Riku jumped back in defense, calling Way to Dawn on instinct. He ignored the dumbfounded gasps from the people who had seen his weapon materialize out of thin air. Because something wasn't right. Where was his Adamant Keyblade? Why had it disappeared? He clenched the hilt, dismissing the thought as he decided to be comfortable with the familiar blade.

"We don't want to fight you," said Kairi as she stepped between the two glaring men. She still hadn't called her own blade. "You're making a big mistake by thinking we're the enemy. We want to help you. We want to find Giselle and our friend, and we want to get back. Maybe you're right. Maybe your queen is an innocent victim in all this. Even so, can't we agree that Maleficent's behind it?"

"I… suppose?" Edward lowered his weapon.

Riku drew in a breath, dismissing Way to Dawn. Edward seemed to take this as an offering of peace and sheathed his sword once again. Good, at least that was settled. Because they had absolutely no idea what world they had landed on (it was a hell of a lot different from anything Riku had ever seen), they decided to try to locate a tourism office. This world was modernized, much like Riku and Kairi's own. They assumed many of the same rules applied here.

After asking around and wandering down street after bustling street, they were able to find a large, sleek building, its sign reading: New York City Tourism Board.

Riku let out a sigh of relief. New York City. At least now they knew the name. Kairi wasted no time rushing into the building. Riku followed reluctantly, telling Edward to keep his mouth shut.

Riku busied himself by looking through informational brochures. Population: 8,274,527. _Great. What could possibly go wrong? _He flipped through several pamphlets before resigning himself to the fact that New York was, well… really weird. They left several minutes later, Kairi holding the biggest map he had ever seen.

"Yeah, _that _won't draw attention to us," he smirked.

Kairi ignored his snide comment as she mumbled to herself, index finger sifting over the map. "Okay, so we entered this world in… Times Square, over here. Right now we're only a few blocks from that. Sora would normally have the sense to stay close, but who knows what kind of trouble Giselle will get herself into…"

They spent the majority of the day searching the areas in and around Times Square, but their efforts warranted no results. After looking well into the night, they decided to find a place to stay and continue in the morning. They settled for a hotel that stretched dozens of stories high. The room they were given was small; the two full-sized beds had a mere foot between them and took up the majority of the chamber. Riku took no time to flop down on the nearest bed, burying his face in a soft feather pillow.

"Kairi," addressed Edward. "Because I am a gentleman of manners, I shall sleep on the floor so that you can have a bed."

Riku lifted his head and stared at Edward in disbelief. Was he insinuating that he had no manners?

"Thanks, Edward, but it's fine," insisted Kairi. She nudged Riku over and climbed onto the bed with him. "I'll just sleep with Riku. Well - I mean - not _with _you…"

He flopped his head back onto the pillow, laughing into it. "Way to make everything awkward, Kairi."

She whapped him on the head with her own pillow. "You're such a bonehead sometimes."

Their scrapple was interrupted by Edward's unrelenting naïveté to the world around him. "Excuse me, but what is the purpose of this large box?"

Riku turned on his back and propped himself up on his elbows to see Prince Edward looking at himself through the black glass of the television.

"It's a TV," said Riku, grabbing the remote from the nightstand. Without warning Edward, he hit the power button. A nondescript soap opera flashed onto the screen as a jaded woman in her early forties got a little too close and personal with a much younger man.

"Why… It's a magic mirror!" exclaimed Edward. His face lit up as he crawled to the edge of his bed, gripping the TV by its sides. "Magic mirror, tell me where Giselle is!"

"Uh… That's not exactly how it works," Kairi frowned. "I'm sorry, but it's going to be pretty difficult to find Sora and Giselle. They could be anywhere in the city. It's been a really long day; why don't you get some sleep and we'll continue our search first thing in the morning."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Edward agreed halfheartedly. He crawled under the blankets and was asleep within minutes, his ungentlemanly snores alerting Riku and Kairi to this fact.

"I wish I could fall asleep that quickly," said Kairi as she turned the TV off and crawled under the covers.

Riku sighed. He knew it would be at least a couple hours before he could drift off to sleep. Resigning himself to this fact, he walked over to the adjacent bathroom and poured himself a glass of water in one of the plastic cups the hotel provided.

"Hey Riku?" Kairi's voice sounded from the next room.

"Can I ask you a… well, a kind of personal question?"

He sighed, taking a gulp of his water, knowing his boundaries were about to be invaded by Kairi's unrelenting queries.

"I couldn't stop you if I wanted to, could I?" he grumbled, half annoyed and half amused.

"When you and Sora are, you know… doing stuff..."

Riku rolled his eyes, thankful for mutual understandings and euphemisms. "Just rip off the Band-Aid, will you?"

"Who's on top?"

He dropped his glass of water, feeling his cheeks grow hot as he clenched his teeth together. Riku had never expected her to ask _that_. He remained silent as he grabbed a washcloth to clean up the mess.

"Riku…" she teased. "You're ignoring the question…"

"Why do you even care?" he groused, standing again. "I never asked you about your sex life."

"Like Sora didn't tell you everything," she smirked. "I know how guys are. High fives and 'score!' and testosterone and… whatnot. Actually, that begs the question-"

"Why do you care?" he repeated.

Kairi smiled. "Oh, you know, just being nosy. Of course, if you don't want to tell me I'll just assume…"

Riku gritted his teeth. "You're evil."

"No, I'm just curious," she argued. "Payback to Sora. I _know _he told you everything about us. Now are you going to tell me, or are you going to leave me to make my own assumption?"

Riku flopped down on his bed and buried his face in the pillow once again, adamantly refusing to talk about this with Kairi of all people. He mumbled his response.

"Wmff…"

"I can't hear you, and you know I'm just going to keep bugging you until you tell me."

"We…twmm…"

"Still can't hear you…"

"We take turns, okay?" he said harshly. "But thanks for stereotyping."

"Look, Riku… I'm sorry," Kairi apologized. "I didn't mean to make you angry; I was just kidding around."

"Shouldn't you be a little… I dunno… touchy about the subject?" asked Riku. "After all, aren't I the one who stole Sora away from you in the first place?"

Kairi sighed exasperatedly. "Don't turn all 'vindictive villain' on me."

"That didn't answer my question."

"Well then, stop being so smart."

"I have a high IQ. You can't help some things."

She chucked a pillow at him. He caught it with one hand, whipping it back.

"Hmph," she grumbled, hugging the pillow to her chest.

"Kairi? You still haven't answered _my_ question. Why aren't you more sensitive about this?"

Kairi plopped onto her back, hearing the truth in Riku's words. "Fine. Fine. I guess I just don't… I dunno… he's changed. A lot. I told him earlier today, but I'm not sure he gets it. There's more darkness in him, more cynicism. And it's not that it's taking over. No, far from it. But he's not the happy island boy I fell in love with."

Her truthful words stung Riku. He'd noticed it as well, but for him it was more gradual because he had seen Sora every day. If anything, that change had made him love Sora even more, not drift away from him. People changed; it was a part of life. Sometimes they moved in opposite directions. Feelings and relationships molded into indiscernible shapes so that sometimes the parties at hand couldn't recognize what had been there at the beginning.

Riku took a deep breath. He figured this was the best opportunity to be a dick and ask. "Do you still love him?"

Although she seemed uneasy to answer his question, Kairi didn't look particularly shocked. "I… don't know. I can't figure it out."

On the contrary, she looked completely crestfallen, her eyes shadowed in the dim light of the nightstand lamp. Kairi pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them tightly. For the first time in months, she looked vulnerable, like the slightest shock could break her. Riku couldn't stand seeing her like that, for once so breakable and weak, as though the second she let her guard down her entire world crumbled like a weather-beaten pillar.

He couldn't take it. With slow movements, as though a pace too rapid would startle her, Riku took her clenched fist in his hand and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. She seemed startled at his strange feat of affection, but said nothing as he enveloped her in strong arms, soothing her pent-up sobs in a strong hug.

Eventually they broke apart, Kairi still shaky from her unexpected confession. She assumed her original position, wiping a few lingering tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry; I don't know what came over me."

Riku frowned. "No, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up."

"I'm glad you did," Kairi admitted. "I've been thinking it for awhile. Just… verbalizing it is different, you know?"

God, did he. Riku figured it was better not to bring up his experience with this just after Kairi had finished crying. Still, he had a few questions.

"Why were you acting like me and Sora being together wasn't a big deal earlier today?" he asked. "You even made me use the word 'relationship' to define it. And then with your question…"

"That's different, I guess," Kairi bit her lip as she toyed with a piece of frayed fabric on the comforter. "I want you guys to be happy; it's just…"

"You want the right to be happy, too."

She looked at Riku apprehensively. "Do you think I'm selfish?"

"Fuck no."

Riku didn't know why he put it so abruptly, but it seemed to calm Kairi more than anything else he had said. She unclenched her arms from her legs and lay back on the bed.

"We're really messed up, aren't we?"

"I'm normal," Riku smirked. "I don't know about you and Sor-"

She threw another pillow, this time hitting him square in the side of the head. He had to give Kairi credit; she could bounce back fast. Riku threw it back unenthusiastically. He was too tired to go along with what normally would have been a game of deadly trenchal warfare. Taking the hint, Kairi turned off the lamp, but soon proved that she wasn't done talking.

"Listen, Riku… about what we were talking about in the castle…"

"I don't really remember," he lied. He recalled the exact conversation.

"Yes you do," damn, Kairi knew him too well. "I asked you why you were so ashamed of your relationship with Sora."

"I'm not… ashamed, but I know what you're getting at. It's not completely obvious to you?" Riku could feel his cheeks grow warm, and was grateful for the dark room.

She hesitated for a moment. "I dunno, it's just… after saving the worlds two point five times and almost dying more times than I'm sure either of you can count, you'd think facing a battle like Disapproval from the General Population would be nothing."

"Apples and oranges," Riku defended lamely. He was sure Kairi's speech was far from over, and it was likely that she would disregard everything he said until she was done.

"It's really not as taboo as it used to be," she said. "I mean, sure, on worlds like Agrabah and Wonderland maybe, but I'll bet the people here wouldn't even bat an eye. They'd be pretty accepting at home, too."

Riku groaned. "Our parents…"

"Yeah… they'd have to be told eventually," Kairi admitted. "But if they're halfway decent parents they'll accept you for who you are. I know for a fact that both your and Sora's parents would support you."

"It doesn't matter," he frowned. "They'll never look at me the same way again. No one will."

"You don't think I do?"

"Not completely," Riku finally rolled on his side to face her. "When you find out someone's biggest secret, you never do. If I were you I'd look at me differently too."

"Okay, maybe at first that was true," Kairi admitted. "But I just needed time to come to terms with it. Just imagine: you've been missing, presumed dead, and when you finally return to your boyfriend you find out he's gotten together with his best friend, who also happens to be a guy. It took awhile to get used to, but honestly Riku, you're still the same person to me. Maybe you used to mask that aspect of your personality, but it's been there for quite awhile, hasn't it?"

Riku sunk into his mattress. "At least since those final battles with Xemnas. Probably longer, but that's when I first admitted it to myself. I told myself that if we made it out alive, I'd tell him." If she was going to make him talk about this, damn it, he was going to do it right.

She gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. "Riku… that was years ago!"

"Yeah," he laughed dryly. "Trust me; I know."

"But you didn't tell him."

"How do you tell your best friend something like that?"

He could hear the hesitation in Kairi's voice as she spoke. "I'm… glad you finally did."

Riku felt a twinge in his heart. Kairi's unrelenting selflessness killed him sometimes.

"Thanks, Kairi," he tried to recover. "But don't you think this is a conversation you need to have with Sora?"

"We all need to talk again," she agreed. "That is… when we find him. This is one monstrosity of a city."

Riku let her words sink in, their truthfulness washing over him like a wave of exhaustion. He climbed under the covers and vainly attempted to relax. It wasn't long before he felt a slender arm drape around him. It was much different from the one he was used to, but it comforted him nonetheless. Riku could feel the same sense of love and devotion, but it was more platonic, more unconditional. This kind of love was from the ghosted shards of a once pure heart, and it was because of this that he was finally able to find peace.

* * *

Rikai friendship scenes make me happy. Seme/uke stereotypes do not.

Sorry again for the long wait! It'll be a little while before I can get the next chapter out (I'll try not to take another month, but it'll probably be a couple weeks). The semester's almost over and finals are approaching quickly, so I'm going to have to buckle down and study... Once summer hits I'll have a lot more free time to write, so bear with me.

Thanks for reading!


	20. Fountains

Heh... It's been awhile, hasn't it? *Avoids eye contact*. Sorry, I honestly had a lot of trouble figuring out what to do with the plot for this chapter.

On the bright side, holy shit... Chapter Twenty? Over 80,000 words? I can't believe I've been at this since September. Thanks so much to everyone who keeps sticking with this story. It's your reviews, PMs, faves, alerts, and motivations that keep me writing.

**DISCLAIMER:** By now it's a well-established fact that FrostFromFire does not own Kingdom Hearts.

Please Note: After editing the chapter, I noticed that if you squint really hard you might pick up on kind of a romantic connotation between Sora and Giselle. There is absolutely nothing between them, they just get along well. Eesh, what a crack pairing THAT would be...

* * *

**CHAPTER TWENTY: FOUNTAINS**

Kairi hadn't expected what she woke up to the next morning, but really, she should have seen it coming. Of course it couldn't have been something as simple as a misunderstanding. Edward's bed couldn't have been empty because he had decided to help himself to the free continental breakfast, oh no. The thought crossed her mind as she hurried about the room, looking for any sign he may have left to allude to his location. There on the small nightstand between the two beds was a hurried yet daintily written letter.

_To the noble Kairi and Riku,_

_I am terribly sorry for the misunderstanding, but I believe that you may be a hindrance in my quest to save Giselle. I have set out to search the city on my own. Please do not attempt to find me; I am perfectly capable of navigating through this world. _

_Good luck in your efforts,_

_Prince Edward of Andalasia_

"Great," she shouted, stirring Riku.

"Huh…?" his voice was clouded in sleep.

"It's Edward," Kairi grabbed his arm and shook it urgently.

"Yeah? What'd the idiot do now?"

"He left."

"He _what_?" Riku bolted up, shaking strands of hair from his eyes as he surveyed the room. "Are you sure he didn't just-"

Kairi shoved the note in Riku's hand.

"Oh, well that's great," he said sarcastically, flopping back down on the bed. "He's going to destroy this city, you know."

Kairi snorted. "It's more likely he'll just be locked up."

"So? It's not like it's our obligation to baby-sit him," argued Riku as he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. "How much havoc could he possibly wreak? Wait… don't answer that question."

She smiled sweetly at him. Riku knew her too well. She would argue that looking for Edward and stopping whatever chaos he brought upon this poor world was of the utmost importance, no matter how obnoxious a nuisance he was.

"Fine… I guess we'll have to look for him," Riku conceded without an argument. There was no point; Kairi assumed he could already see where it would lead. He would argue that Edward was slowing them down. Kairi would rebut his debate by saying that they needed to protect the worlds and keep their curious prince out of harm's way. She would be right (of course), and they would leave with a second quest on top of the one to find Sora and Giselle. She supposed he decided it would be easier to cut out the fifteen minutes of argumentation. Sora's illusiveness was pissing them off enough already.

"You know what would've solved this problem by now?" he asked, turning on the shower.

"What's that?" yelled Kairi over the echo of falling water.

"Cell phones, walkie talkies, a generic plan for a meet-up place… A Naminé."

"Good luck finding phones _that _universal. Besides, he could be too far away for a walkie to work. And Naminé stayed back at Radiant Garden to help them. You know that."

"The meet-up place?"

"Okay…" she conceded. "_That _probably would've been a good idea."

They left the hotel not an hour later, Kairi using the obnoxiously large map to navigate through the city.

"C'mon, let's go find your boyfriend," she smirked, wishing she had a camera to capture the utter shock that illuminated Riku's face. "What? I'm going to make you talk about this openly if it's the last thing I do."

Even if there were residual feelings for Sora lurking in the recesses of her heart, she certainly wasn't going to verbalize them. The conversation she had held with Riku the previous night was true enough; her feelings for Sora had changed beyond anything she could have ever imagined. Did she still feel a twinge of jealousy? Of course, but she assumed such a position was expected. In truth, Kairi hadn't expected to break down in front of Riku. She had overestimated her ability to keep her emotions at bay, but perhaps it was because of the epiphany she had had during their conversation in the dark. Kairi didn't love that cynical, tainted Sora she had come back to. Despite the fact that he knew she was back for good, he was still… different. More serious, more mistrusting.

"Technically there's no relationship to speak of," Riku slipped in slyly.

"_Technically _you were on a break because I'm a poor, damaged princess, right?" she smirked. Her true emotions reflected something entirely different. Kairi hated talking about herself in such a tone, but knew she had to keep lighthearted mood.

"Don't joke like that, Kairi," said Riku, his voice suddenly grave.

She rolled her eyes. "C'mon, I'm not some fragile little china doll that you two need to keep behind glass. I never thought I'd be able to say this… but I've seen things you two can only imagine."

He raised his eyebrows, curious. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Nothing," Kairi said ambiguously. "Literally nothing."

"Kinda paradoxical, don't you think?"

"How so?"

"Well…" Riku kept his eyes locked on the sidewalk as though he were trying to word his thoughts carefully. "Nothing is the absence of everything. The absence of space, time, matter, thought. As soon as you try to describe nothing, it becomes something. Nowhere would become somewhere as soon as you arrived, right? Nothing doesn't exist. It can't."

"Riku, all I had was my mind," she explained. "I couldn't see, feel, hear… I had thoughts and ideas, nothing else."

"Ideas might transcend the physical world, but they still _exist_."

Kairi shook her head in disbelief. "When did you become so philosophical?"

He cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh? I was just thinking out loud."

She didn't know why she was so surprised. While Kairi and Sora were both intelligent, Riku tended to consider more abstract thoughts than the two of them. It had been that way since before they had left the islands. He was the one who first entertained the idea of multiple worlds despite the teasing jabs and blatant disregard he received from the majority of the community. Sora's intelligence stemmed from a more concrete place. He could easily judge a reaction based on its original action, and floored both Kairi and Riku with his talents in the physics class they had taken together in high school. Kairi was sharp in a more introspective way. She could gauge people's thoughts and emotions as though they were her own, and easily predict what their reaction would be based on her own words. Riku once told her she'd be good at manipulation if she ever had the heart to try it.

"Let's see, if I were Sora…" contemplated Kairi after several minutes of silence. "I'd probably want to keep Giselle out of harm's way. But I'd still want to be out and about so I could stop any danger. Not only that, but I'd be looking for a way back to Andalasia."

"Do you think he's figured out we're here?" asked Riku.

"Hmm…" she put a finger on her chin. "Well, he'd probably assume that Narissa and Maleficent would want to get rid of us, just as they got rid of Giselle. I'm sure he's considered it."

"Great. I feel like we've made real progress here," said Riku dryly. "That's, of course, without adding in the fact that we're in a city with eight million other people."

"Oh, I know," said Kairi with a bounce in her step. "But I have a solution."

"Do you."

"Of course," she smiled widely. "Find trouble, find Sora. That's always how it works."

* * *

"It's easy," smiled Giselle. "Aaaaa…"

"I'm not singing. Especially not in public."

"Oh, there are hardly any people around!" she pestered, humming to the little bird on her finger.

"Two people, ten thousand… It doesn't matter. I'm not singing," Sora laughed, leaning back on the park bench. "When I was younger you might've gotten me to, but not now."

"Oh, bah. Fine, suit yourself," she looked at him, an expression of feigned sternness on her face.

Sora hated to admit it, but Giselle did have a certain charm. And it wasn't just in that Princess of Heart sense he got when he was around Belle or Jasmine (but then again he'd never really gotten a chance to know them as he had Giselle). She had such a sense and appreciation for life, and saw sparks in the ordinary that he would have never picked out. It was almost how he used to be… in a slightly crazier way.

"Do you think Kairi and Riku are here?" she asked, whistling to the small bird.

"I'm almost positive," Sora confirmed. "I'm sure they figured out what happened. It's just a matter of locating them. Hanging around in a park probably isn't the _best _way to find them, but I'm out of ideas at the moment."

"Mm," Giselle waved at the little bird as it flew away. "Well, it's a beautiful spring day. Who knows? Maybe they'll come here to take a break."

Sora laughed inwardly. Riku and Kairi didn't take breaks; they would scout the city a hundred times over if it meant finding him. He would have followed the same quest relentlessly, but he couldn't bring himself to exhaust Giselle by dragging her through the city from daybreak to nightfall. One had to train relentlessly to develop such endurance, and Sora was sure that if he kept his normal pace, the girl would collapse within an hour.

"Sora…" Giselle brought him back from his thoughts, an air of hesitation in her voice. "Why are you always so serious?"

"Me? Serious?" he looked at her in disbelief. "I've been called a lot of things, but serious isn't usually one of them."

Sora knew what she was getting at, but he was going to delay the process for as long as possible.

"It's just…" she shifted uncomfortably on the bench. "I think it'd do you well to laugh more. You know… enjoy life."

"I… enjoy life. Sometimes," Sora defended lamely, but the expression on Giselle's face told him she wasn't buying any of his excuses. "Okay, fine… I really don't. But I don't have time; that's the thing."

Giselle looked around, observing the relaxed nature of the park. "You have time now, don't you?"

"I guess, but don't you think we should-"

"We've been looking for Riku and Kairi all day," she smiled widely, grabbing Sora's hand as she dashed off the bench.

"What're you doing?"

"Showing you how to live," she said simply.

Sora could have protested and easily stopped her, but he really was curious as to what she was planning. Besides, he knew it would do him some good in the long-run. It couldn't hurt to at least _try _to regain some of that happy demeanor that had once been such an important part of him, could it?

She dragged him through the park, finally stopping at a giant water fountain they had passed before they had decided to take a break. Giselle let go of Sora's hand and ran across the lawn, twirling and laughing as she ran through the streams of water that soaked her light spring dress. Sora took a seat on the grass. There were several kids playing in the fountain, all (he assumed) between the ages of four and ten. He wasn't at all surprised to see how well Giselle fit in with the children; she seemed to enjoy the magic of the dancing water just as much as they did.

After splashing around for a few minutes, Giselle brought her attention back to Sora. She smiled sadly at his reserved state, her bare feet padding along the grass as she tried to include him in her sport.

"Sora, it _really_ doesn't look like you're enjoying life," she put her hands on her hips.

"I'm good here, actually."

"No you're not," she grabbed his hand once more and tugged him to his feet. Again, he could have easily resisted, but Giselle's question rang fresh in his mind once more.

Before he knew it they were bounding for the fountain, splashing into the icy water that sopped into his clothes and flattened his hair. For a single moment he was fourteen again, that carefree boy on an island that was named for a hope that didn't exist. For a second Sora was that short, lumbering, wide-eyed kid who dreamed of a destiny greater than he could have ever believed himself to be.

But once you fulfilled that destiny, what did it make you? What were you left with?

With that thought he snapped back to the present, watching with a withdrawn demeanor as the children tried to leap over the water like a jump rope. Sora observed in a half amused, half sorrowful way as they attempted to hurdle over the spouts of water. They never could; it either soaked their knees or their calves or their stomachs… Sometimes they tumbled, their bodies completely interrupting the flow of water. They always got up and tried to jump again, but none of them ever made it.

Maybe it was better they didn't.

"Sora, c'mon," Giselle smiled, pulling him further into the fountain. "You're so stubborn! Am I going to have to teach you how to have fun again?"

He looked at her in disbelief. Flying gummi ships was fun. Kicking the Darkness's ass was fun. Sex was fun. Splashing around in fountains? Not fun.

"Look," she pressed. "You just have to remember what it was like to be a _kid_!"

Giselle sloshed her hand through the largest sprinkler on the fountain, soaking Sora with water. He tried to shield his face, but it was too late. The stream splashed into his eyes, obscuring his vision just long enough for Giselle to make a break for it. Sora glared determinedly. She was _not _getting away with this.

He chased her down as she ran around the fountain in a way that proved she certainly wasn't done with her game. She dodged around the spurts of water in a surprisingly sly manner, splashing Sora with every opportunity.

"Nice try," he laughed, finally grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling them both through the center of the fountain, soaking them beyond recovery. Deciding it was time to call a truce, they left the fountain and took a seat on the nearby grass.

"You know, that was actually kind of fun," Sora admitted. "Just don't tell Riku and Kairi I said that."

"All secrets are safe with me," she smiled. "But you know, I think you should run through fountains more often."

"I don't really see many fountains."

Giselle thought on it for a moment. "Maybe you should make the time to find them then."

He laid back and closed his eyes, the warm breeze chilling his soaked skin. The sun was quickly being obscured by a thick layer of rain clouds, but despite its absence, the air remained pleasant.

"Sora," Giselle jabbed him in the arm after some time, her voice suddenly urgent. "Sora. What's going on?"

He sat up groggily, observing the figures of panicking parents as they tried to usher their children away from the fountain.

"C'mon, honey," one woman said to her son. "We have to go home. We have to go home _right now_. No, don't worry about your sandals, we'll-"

"Excuse me," Sora ran up to her. "What's going on?"

She looked uneasy, as if stopping for a moment to help Sora was the same as risking her son's life for whatever they were panicking about.

"My sister just sent me this video. I guess it was on Eighteenth and Broadway when she saw it," she flipped open her phone. "At first I thought it was fake, but that guy said they confirmed it on the radio, and my husband just called to warn me…"

Sora watched in horror as a towering Heartless crashed through the streets of New York, walking atop cars as though they were toys, smashing into buildings as though they were made of plastic blocks.

"Shit," Sora swore under his breath. "Listen, you need to get your family as far away from this thing as possible. Tell everyone you know to stay completely clear of the area. Leave the city if you can. Giselle, go back to the hotel. I'll come back to get you when it's safe."

"But what is it?" the woman's question was too late. Sora was long gone.

"_It has to be Maleficent," _Sora thought as he dashed through the park and back into the city. _"No one else has such strong control over the Heartless anymore, especially not in a world like this."_

Ultima appeared automatically in his hand. Sora ignored the gasps from bystanders as he whipped by, weaving in and out of traffic, zipping around pedestrians as quickly as his footwork allowed. He had absolutely no idea where Eighteenth and Broadway was, but once the Keyblade was in his hand it didn't matter. It was as though it were alive, like its thoughts meshed with his own as soon as his fingers grasped the hilt. Instinct told him he was heading in the right direction.

Sora could hear panicked screams and crashes up ahead. He sprinted as quickly as he could, hoping he could at least save some of the people from death… or worse, from being consumed by the Darkness itself. As he turned the corner, Sora laid his eyes on one of the most threatening Heartless he had ever seen. It was large and stocky like a Behemoth, but its sheer size dwarfed the former. Its horn emitted a dark, purple glow, poisoning the surrounding area with each rumbling step. Its long, opposable appendages grappled at the street, throwing obstructions out of its way.

He hesitated only for a moment before rushing at the beast, Keyblade drawn in an offensive position. He had to slay this thing as quickly as possible. Despite his skilled jumping abilities, the beast's back was too high to scale. Sora was forced to run alongside it, smashing his Keyblade into its side as he tried to find a weak spot.

"Thank you… for the… assistance!" called a breathless voice from the other side of the beast.

Sora snapped his head the man's direction. In the back of his mind, Sora registered the man's medieval apparel, making the connection that he was probably from Andalasia.

"My name is… Prince Edward!" he called, swinging his sword wildly at the rampaging beast. "I hail from the… court of Andalasia! It is a pleasure to-"

"Save it for when we kill this thing!" growled Sora, picking up his pace and running at the Heartless's head. He plunged the Keyblade into its eye. It sent a powerful shock through his arm, rendering it numb as he continued to fight against the one-eyed creature. Sora shook away the feeling as he latched onto its ear, swinging his body onto the beast's head to strike its horn.

It emitted an earsplitting screech as Sora pounded away at the horn. He lost himself in the action as he smashed his Keyblade into it repeatedly, completely ignoring the dark ball of lightning that sprung from it, shocking Sora and sending him tumbling to the ground.

Pain. That's all he could think of. The stunning, obliterating pain that surged through his muscles and clouded his brain. He could feel the cold asphalt on his cheek, the raindrops that fell upon his broken body. He could sense the need to step out of his daze and fight the Heartless, but he couldn't move his limbs, couldn't reach into his pocket to grasp the potion he so desperately needed.

"It's not working!" called a desperate voice from far away. He knew it anywhere.

_Kairi._

"Hit the horn; it's the only weak spot!"

_Riku._

His fingers began to tingle as he worked through the pain. Sora could move them, lift them off the pavement ever so slightly. He tried to curl his knuckles, balling his hand into a pained fist. With the last strength his battered being could muster, he lifted his shaking arm and plunged it into his pocket, removing a clear vial filled with green liquid. His seizing arm found his mouth as he ripped off the cap with his teeth, the pain subsiding as the liquid slipped down his throat. Sora jumped to his feet, catching up with the beast as his friends bludgeoned it with their weapons.

"Thanks for the help, guys!" he called out in a half-joking, half serious manner. "Couldn't've thrown me a potion?"

"Huh? You were…" Kairi said as she dodged the Heartless's vicious teeth. "Sora, I'm so sorry; we didn't even see you there!"

"You got up on your own anyway," Riku smirked, crashing Way to Dawn into the beast's horn.

"Yeah, it's not like I _needed _your help," Sora played along despite the severity of the situation. Sometimes they had to do this in battle.

They were quickly tiring out as it crashed through the now-vacant streets. The Heartless showed no sign of slowing its pace.

"Stop."

Sora stared in disbelief as the beast halted in its tracks. The four allies held their weapons still as they observed the newcomer.

There Giselle stood, her dress soaked from the water of the fountain as well as the steady rain that streamed from the sky. She held up a small hand, her palm pressed out as though such a gesture would stop its rampage.

"Stop killing these innocent people," she said desperately. "It's me you want. They sent you for me, didn't they? Because of my heart. So just… get rid of me and leave these poor people alone."

"Giselle, it's a Heartless," explained Sora carefully. "It doesn't have rational thought. It knows how to kill, to bring destruction… nothing else. There's no-"

The three Keyblade masters were unable to stop the Heartless as it charged at Giselle, its pace unmatchable. It scooped her up into one hand and stood on its hind legs, dangling her high above the ground.

"Oh, dear heavens!" exclaimed Edward. He backed up in shock.

Sora tried not to panic as he considered their options. She was completely out of reach, and trying to climb up the Heartless was too treacherous to even-

Huh. Apparently Riku didn't think so. Sora watched in terror as he grabbed the monster's tale, swinging himself onto its back and using its coarse hair to climb up to its shoulders. The Heartless didn't even seem to notice Riku. It focused all its attention on the shaking, horrified Giselle. With every ounce of strength he possessed, Riku lifted the Keyblade in the air, plunging it into the beast's head. It faltered from the blow, dropping Giselle and letting her tumble to the awning below. She slid off ungracefully and crashed to the ground, crying out in pain from the impact.

Sora ran to her side and gave her one of his potions. "Are you okay?" he asked, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine now, but-"

"Good," said Sora, ushering her toward Kairi and Edward. "Kairi, get these two out of here."

She nodded. "I'll come back when they're a safe distance away."

He brought his attention back to the beast. Riku was having trouble dislodging his Keyblade from its head, and his attempts only infuriated the Heartless further. Seeing no other option, Sora mimicked Riku's earlier plan of action. He grabbed ahold of the monster's tale and clenched the coarse hair in his fists, slowly making his way up its back. With one hand he leveled himself on the Heartless's shoulder and began striking its horn as Riku tried to dislodge Way to Dawn.

"Why won't it die?" he yelled furiously. "It has a fucking sword in its brain and it _won't die!_"

"Maybe we're not looking at this the right way," Sora smashed his blade into the horn once again, dodging the beast's wild attempts at knocking him off of his shoulder. "What magic works well against Dark Lightning?"

"Mmf," Riku struggled, pausing momentarily as though he had been struck with a brilliant idea. "_Other _dark attacks."

"Riku, no," he argued. "You're not actually considering-"

Riku unexpectedly turned on Sora, knocking him off of the Heartless's shoulder. He managed to catch the railing of the fire escape of a nearby building, swinging himself to the ground as he watched in pure terror. Riku stretched his hands in front of him, concentrating on a power Sora could only imagine harnessing. With a loud thunderclap Riku released the ball of dark energy, sending it barreling into the Heartless's head. It cried out in a defeated howl, falling to the ground and sending Riku's weakened body tumbling onto the street below.

"Riku!" yelled Sora, rushing up to his friend as the Heartless disappeared in a cloud of black mist. He wasted no time casting Curaga. Riku slowly lifted himself from the asphalt, looking at Sora with a weak smile.

"Don't you ever fucking pull something like that again," Sora's voice was shaky as he helped Riku to his feet. "What the hell was that? Using the Darkness to fight Darkness? You almost died!"

"But I didn't," countered Riku. "And if you were in my position you would've done exactly the same thing."

_Damn all logical thinking._

Sora shook his head, unsure of how to respond. He was suddenly too aware of Riku, of the rainwater that drenched his hair, flowed in streaks down his face. Riku smiled. Despite being seconds from death only moments before, he _smiled_.

"I'm glad you're okay," Riku said with the utmost sincerity. He reached forward and clenched Sora's hand in his own. It reminded Sora of one of the first times he let his feelings for Riku resurge, back when they hid in the fissure at Radiant Garden. This time was different though. Those thoughts had been requited. He shared memories with Riku that a mere year ago he would have thought impossible.

There was too much longing. Too much need. Too much _want_.

And before he knew it they had closed the anxious gap between them. Riku kissed Sora with a furious passion. He could taste the rain on his lips, the carnal desire in his touches, the inherent sense of a yearning that had gone unquenched for too long. But beyond all primitive cravings lurked something that had stemmed from a tattered friendship, an understanding so deep that even a constant observer would struggle to comprehend. It was as though that sense of devotion, that love that bound them together was expressed in a single, passionate embrace. For that fleeting moment, it was all Sora needed.

* * *

Ha. Yep.

Why is it that every time I try to write a happy scene it goes BOOM? That water fountain scene was supposed to be completely lighthearted. WTF, brain? WTF.

As always, thanks for reading. I'm not all that confident in my ability to write action scenes, so if it doesn't flow or if it's worded strangely, please don't hesitate to tell me. Actually, don't hesitate to tell me any mistakes I've made. I love constructive criticism.


	21. Regrets

OMG this isn't a deadfic?! I know apologies seem empty and futile, but I really am sorry for going (what's it been?) three whole freaking months without updating. I honestly was so sick of the story and had absolutely no motivation. Over the past few weeks I've been slowly working on this chapter, and I finally wrote the last half of it. Anyway, this is officially off hiatus!

**DISCLAIMER: **Hmm… Maybe I do own Kingdom Hearts. It'd explain why the third installation is taking so long to come out.

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: REGRETS

Sora pulled away, cursing. He turned his back to Riku, apologizing hurriedly in a voice that sounded almost ashamed.

"Shit. I… I don't… We got carried away. You almost died and I…" he murmured, refusing to meet Riku's eyes. "We can't… I mean… _Kairi_."

Riku frowned. Sora was rarely this inarticulate unless he was struggling with something deeply internal. Perhaps he shouldn't have acted so quickly, shouldn't have allowed himself to drop all rational thought for a few moments of satisfaction. Why had he made such a selfish move? The close proximity of death, sure… but that wasn't a very good excuse, especially considering how often death crept up on them. Sora didn't know that Kairi's feelings for him had changed… and what if he was still conflicted with being in love with both of them?

"Sora, I'm sorry," he said. "I don't know why-"

"Look," he turned around slowly, meeting Riku's eye with hesitation. "I can't hurt Kairi. I just _can't_."

Riku frowned. It wasn't his place to tell Sora that Kairi didn't love him anymore. For the moment he would have to feign ignorance and act as though his advance had been a mistake on all fronts. But then again, Sora had reciprocated…

"Yeah," he nodded. It took his utmost sense of control to not blurt out the conversation he and Kairi had had the night before. It wasn't his place to tell Sora that. Even if she wasn't romantically involved with either of them, she was still a critical part of their friendship, of their destiny. Riku wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Riku! Sora!" the boys whipped around to see a frantic Kairi running toward them. She stopped a few feet away, slightly out of breath from her run.

"Where are Edward and Giselle?" asked Riku.

"Hiding out in a building a few blocks away," she explained. "How'd you get rid of that Heartless so quickly?

Sora glared at Riku, but didn't say anything.

"Riku, what'd you do?" Kairi picked up on the subtlety.

"I, uh…" he might as well say it. With Kairi's nagging it would come out eventually. "I may have used a really powerful Dark Aura spell against it…"

Kairi narrowed her eyes, her expression growing sour as she marched at Riku, grabbing the neck of his shirt into her clenched fist. "What the _hell _were you thinking? You don't know what those powers could lead to! You haven't trained using them in so long, and the fact that they just _randomly _reappeared doesn't scare you?"

He sighed exasperatedly, more annoyed by her demeanor than anything else. "I didn't see another option! I put my Keyblade through its _brain, _and it didn't die!" Riku doubted he would ever lose fascination with this anomaly.

"Huh. Really?" she was momentarily distracted by the stunning piece of information. Kairi let go of his shirt and stepped back. "I've got to admit, that thing was, well, kinda badass."

"So I'm forgiven?"

"Yeah, like I'd give up _that _easily," she rolled her eyes. "But… I guess I can forgive you this once, since it saved so many lives and all."

"Thanks, Kairi. I'm eternally grateful."

She led them back to the small restaurant that Edward and Giselle had used as a hiding place. As they entered, Riku found a twisted sense of amusement at the people hiding under tables and booths. One particularly wiry man had even managed to squeeze into the corner of the narrow bar.

Edward darted out from under one of the tables, approaching the three at a sprint. "Is it over?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, we took care of it. It's gone for good."

The people began to glance around, sticking their heads out from under their shelters warily.

"I wouldn't take my guard down just yet though," warned Riku. "That thing could've just been the beginning. They might try to attack us again. Releasing that monster might have just been a way of locating and injuring us."

A short, slightly chubby man stood up from behind the bar. "So… you're saying that wasn't the worst of it?"

"It could've been," said Kairi. "But it's more than likely that they'll send something - or someone - a lot more deadly the second time around. And trust me; these people don't care about collateral damage."

The man's eyes widened, his head disappearing behind the bar once again.

"But who are they after?" asked Giselle, appearing from under one of the tables. "You three? Edward?"

"Definitely us three, from, you know, 'meddling with the worlds' too much," explained Sora. The people in the bar had already witnessed an unexplainable, terrifying creature, but upon blurting out his response, he realized he _probably _should have kept that bit of information about other worlds a secret. Damn, he was really bad at the whole sanctity thing. "Probably Edward, if Narissa's afraid he'll usurp the throne and-"

"Peasant, Narissa is _not _behind this misdeed!" Edward lashed out, removing his sword from its sheath once again. Riku sighed. This guy really had to work on his anger issues.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Sora exclaimed, backing away from the sharp blade. "Narissa and Maleficent are the reason we're all here in the first place! She sent Giselle spiraling down that well and I had no choice but to jump down to make sure she was okay. They're working together!"

"You're… certain of this?" Edward asked skeptically.

"Of course I'm sure; I saw it with my own eyes!"

"He's telling the truth, Prince Edward," said Giselle, her voice quiet. "I witnessed the same events."

He lowered his sword. "I have difficulty believing… my aunt could do such a thing. But you helped defeat that terrible monster, Sora, did you not?"

"Yeah."

"And Giselle, you're as fair a maiden as I've ever met. I feel as though I can trust you…"

She nodded, but spoke no words.

Edward pursed his lips as though he couldn't think of anything to say. "I… but… I feel as though acting against Narissa would be a crime of treason. She's queen after all, at least until I find a bride and claim my seat on the throne."

"Edward, listen to me," said Kairi, grabbing his wrist and commanding his complete attention. "I think Narissa and Maleficent might see your involvement in this as a way to get rid of you in the process. She doesn't _want _you to become king; she wants to rule the kingdom on her own."

"That… sounds ludicrous," he countered. "Narissa is such a thoughtful, giving person. She would never do anything to harm me."

"Some people are really good at acting," Sora shrugged. "You'd be surprised."

"Just a moment," Edward said uneasily. "Let's assume that your theory is correct. Will she and Maleficent attack us here? Or will they expect us to return to Andalasia?"

"I had a thought on that," Kairi proposed. "A lot of times destroying a powerful enemy like that Heartless allows you to seal a keyhole and travel to other worlds. If we go back to our starting point, maybe we can seal this world and open that portal. Then she won't be able to attack New York again."

"Hmm…" Riku considered. "It's not the _worst _idea I've ever heard."

"Thanks a lot," Kairi snickered. "It's good to know you have so much faith in me."

With that, the trio, Giselle, and Edward left the small restaurant. No doubt its refugees would wonder for the rest of their lives just what, exactly, had taken place as they watched with astounded horror.

"We came in through a manhole in Times Square," said Sora. "Anyone know how to get there?"

"Of course," Kairi grinned, removing the obnoxious map from her pocket.

Riku was not in the least bit surprised that she had remembered to grab it before they headed out that morning. However, he kept his mouth shut since it had done them more good than harm. The only problem was that instead of just looking like an eccentric group, they now looked like an eccentric group of tourists.

Using her index finger as a guide, Kairi led them down streets and across intersections until they reached the street through which they had entered New York. Riku frowned as they stopped on the walkway. There was no way they were going to be able to get five people to the middle of the street and down the manhole without causing a disruption, let alone a couple of casualties.

"Um. Well. This is a problem," Kairi frowned, her map drooping.

"If it's of any assistance," began Edward. "I've discovered that the yellow carriages are particularly ruthless."

Riku laughed, hoping Edward didn't honestly believe cars were alive.

"Maybe we can go in small groups?" suggested Giselle.

"Hmm…" Sora considered. "I might be able to lift the manhole for a second if I use an Aeroga spell on it. But it's heavy, so you guys'll have to be quick."

He waited for a brief letup in the seemingly endless traffic, summoning his Keyblade and directing an Aeroga spell at the manhole cover. He let out a spirited 'Yes!' as the cover levitated for about ten seconds.

"Okay, you guys can do this, but you'll have to be quick," Sora instructed. "Kairi, Riku, take them across. I'll follow when I'm done."

After waiting several minutes for another break in traffic, Riku and Giselle ran to the middle of the street as Sora cast Aeroga on the manhole cover once again. He hurried Giselle down the ladder, managing to squeeze in just before it came slamming down. They stood in the murky sewage for several minutes before the manhole opened once more and Edward and Kairi climbed into the sewers. Finally Sora made his move, entering just before a car swept away both him and the cover.

"Now that we're all here, shouldn't- Oh!"

Kairi's words were cut short as both her and Riku's Keyblades materialized in their hands. Sora's was already glowing. Riku watched in amazement as their weapons directed themselves toward the dark space in front of them. Instead of forming to a keyhole, however, a bright light shot from each blade and formed a portal of white light. Keeping his Keyblade steady, Riku looked to his friends. Kairi nodded, taking a bold step toward the portal. Sora followed in suit, his expression determined. Riku took a deep breath, his body lurching forward as the familiar sensation of being pulled into another world overtook him. He landed roughly on his feet, stumbling forward as the familiar fountain spewed him out. Sora landed nearby, falling ungracefully onto his knees. Kairi fell over him with a slight shriek of pain, brushing herself off as she stood. Giselle somehow managed the most elegant return, while Edward landed flat on his face. It all would have been quite comical, really, if their situation hadn't been so grave.

"You were right," smiled Sora, looking at the courtyard around him. "Way to go, Kairi."

"Hey, I have a good idea or two up my sleeve," she smirked, but grew serious quickly. "Listen, I'm sure Narissa and Maleficent are nearby, but I doubt they expect us. Giselle, Edward, you should hide out until we've finished this."

"But I must aid in the fight; it's my duty!" Edward exclaimed, his voice valiant.

"This guy _really _needs to tone down the whole chivalry thing," Sora whispered so that only Riku could hear.

"Um… Listen, Edward… I'm not sure that's such a good idea," frowned Riku. "She's probably more powerful than you can imagine. We'll handle it, just-"

"What, you find me incompetent?" Edward accused. "You don't believe I would be of any help?"

"But… but Edward, who will protect me if they fail?" asked Giselle. "You wouldn't let me hide away by myself, would you?"

Edward bowed down, taking Giselle's hand in his and placing a kiss on it. "Certainly not; what was I thinking? Of course I'll accompany you."

Giselle smiled, winking at the three. Apparently she had picked up a thing or two in the short time she had been away from Andalasia.

"I'll shoot a lightning spell into the air when it's over, okay? That'll be your signal," instructed Sora.

Giselle and Edward bid them goodbye, wishing them luck as they hurried away from the castle. Keyblade drawn, Riku looked from Sora to Kairi, their expressions equally as grave as his own. Fully intent on their purpose, the three approached the lofty castle. Riku kept a tight grip on Way to Dawn. If Maleficent was there, he was determined to get rid of her once and for all. Years ago she had severed every friendship he knew, alienated him from the people he cared about, poisoned his mind, even his heart… perhaps even irreparably. He could still feel some of that blackness lingering… not the Darkness that he, Kairi, and Sora all possessed, but something deeper. He felt it every time he used dark magic, with every spell, every malevolent thought that crept into his mind. And it was all because of those lies he had been told years before. Perhaps if he could get rid of Maleficent - really destroy her - those lingering shards would finally disappear.

His eyes pierced into those of Narissa as they entered the hall of the castle. She sat upon her throne, expression stoic, her creviced, aging face glowering at her opponents. She stood after they had only taken a few steps, approaching them in a cool, collected manner.

"I see you kids made it back from your vacation to the big city," she laughed, toying with the staff in her hand.

Riku grumbled inwardly. He hated small talk to begin with. Villainous small talk was even worse. A battle was inevitable; why did they always insist on spewing out some all-important monologue that no one but themselves cared about?

"But what happened to that little maiden from the forest?" Narissa asked, her face askew with a mocking sadness. "Was reality just a little too harsh for her? Or did the prince find her and now they're living happily ever after in some roach-infested tenement?"

"What's wrong with you?" Sora scowled. "You don't even care that your own nephew-"

"Step-nephew…" she droned lazily. "No blood relation, thank goodness. Otherwise I would've felt just _horrible _about the whole thing!"

Had Riku been less transfixed with hatred upon the rogue queen, he would have noticed the anger stemming from Kairi. Her face turned beet red, her eyes narrowed, her hand clenched tightly around her Keyblade. And before Riku and Sora could protest, she was darting toward the queen, a look of fuming determination on her face.

"I don't think so," said Narissa, raising her hand and stopping Kairi with an invisible wall of force. She staggered backward, the impact stunning her slightly.

"You haven't been at this as long as them; I can tell," Narissa shook her head. "Absolutely no battle etiquette."

Riku sighed impatiently. All villains were the same, weren't they?

"See, I know how powerful you three are," Narissa tapped her fingers. "And I don't intend to make the same mistake so many others have. Three against one… I don't like my odds. Don't you think I should level the playing field?"

Narissa waved her staff in a circle, engulfing herself in a thick, cloudy whirlwind. It swirled around her, growing bigger and bigger as she took on the form of another.

"She's transforming…" Sora groaned. "I _hate _when they transform…"

The whirlwind slowly dispersed, leaving them in the presence of a fierce, gnarling dragon. She took up over half of the large hall, craning her neck toward Riku, Kairi, and Sora as she snarled threateningly.

"Really, a dragon?" Sora almost sounded bored. "Yeah, that's _so _original. I definitely don't feel like I've ever fought _this _battle before… Taking some advice from your cousin?"

Narissa breathed out a heavy streak of fire, nearly striking Sora. He jumped out of the way a moment before it singed his shoulder. Apparently she had decided their verbal banter was over.

"Okay, guys," said Sora, talking rapidly as they evaded attacks. "I've done this before. Try to stay away from her head, but that's also probably her only weak point. Long-range magic spells are our best bet. Oh! And watch the feet!"

With that, Sora ran around the side of the dragon, grabbing the thick scales and jumping onto her back. She leered in retaliation, attempting to shake Sora off. He gripped the spikes on her back, struggling to keep his balance.

Seeing his exertion, Kairi fired a Blizzara spell at Narissa's head. It stunned her for a moment. Riku followed her example and raised a hand, gathering dark energy to create the destructive aura he knew would cause her damage. As the small orb formed in front of his hand, a piercing pain surged through his chest. Riku buckled over, his vision growing blurry. He grunted as fire ripped across his leg, Narissa taking advantage of his weakened condition. Riku reached into his pocket, pulling out a strong potion and guzzling it as quickly as he could.

Warming relief ran across his body and healed his wounds. Despite Sora's warning, he charged at the beast's head, striking her between the eyes. She snarled in retaliation as Riku dodged her vicious teeth. Sora and Kairi's spells bombarded her head as Riku forced her to spend all of her energy trying to get rid of him. For a moment he imagined that he was a fly buzzing around her head, distracting her just enough that she couldn't concentrate on harming Sora and Kairi.

But the battle was too much. He was only human, and as such, bound to slip up at some point. With one wrong dodge, Narissa's head collided with his body, sending him flying across the room and crashing into the stone wall. She rolled over suddenly, knocking Sora off her back and nearly crushing him. He rolled just in time, but she managed to pick him up in her talon-like hands, his arms clasped helplessly at his sides.

Riku tried to get up, but his battered limbs refused to move. He could only watch the events progress. Sora tried to free himself from the dragon's grasp, but her claws were too powerful. His face was skewed in pain as though her grip were slowly crushing him.

She seemed to be using Sora as bait to get to Kairi. Every time she fired a spell, Narissa attempted to block the attack with Sora. Kairi, however, didn't let it get to her. She continued to cast Blizzara, guzzling the occasional ether when she needed it. Despite the fact that she wasn't using the most powerful of Blizzard spells, she seemed to be using it in a very concentrated and controlled manner. They snaked by Sora every time, hitting Narissa with exceptional accuracy. The dragon was weakening. Her movements became slower, her speed reduced. Narissa's actions were more sloppy with each of Kairi's attacks. With a look of determination, Kairi fired one final spell, striking the dragon straight in the eye. She toppled over backward, crashing to the ground and shaking the hall as her lifeless body disappeared into the whirlwind that had transformed it in the first place.

Kairi stood between Riku and Sora, glancing to each rapidly as though she didn't know who to tend to first. She cast a low-grade Cure spell on Riku (he guessed she didn't have much magic left). It was enough for him to rise and stumble toward her.

"You okay?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Riku nodded as they turned their attention to Sora. He writhed in pain, short, spastic breaths coming from his crumpled body.

"She crushed him," Kairi whispered as she ran to Sora's side. She cradled his head in her arms, and he did not protest nor show any discomfort in being moved. She took a small bottle from her pocket and uncapped it, raising it to his lips and urging him to drink the green liquid.

He slowly sipped the potion, gaining back small amounts of his health with every gulp. When he was finished, however, the potion had done little to alleviate his pain.

Riku knelt down on the other side of Sora and handed Kairi one of his own potions. "Try this."

She poured the second bottle into Sora's mouth, watching in amazement as his bruises disappeared and gashes mended. Looking shaken but nonetheless healthy, Sora spoke. "Thanks, guys."

"I'm sorry, Sora," Kairi frowned. "I should have had more powerful potions on me. I don't know why I didn't switch them…"

"Don't worry about it," he said, attempting to stand on newly-repaired legs. "You were great out there. Really."

"Amazing," Riku smiled as Sora cast Curaga on the group. "We'd both be dead if it weren't for you."

She smiled shyly and looked at the ground. Kairi had never been good at taking compliments, no matter how well-deserved they were. "Thanks, guys… Shouldn't we let Giselle and Edward know that everything's okay?"

They walked back out to the courtyard, and Sora fired Thundaga in the air to let them know of their victory. Within minutes Edward and Giselle scampered through the castle gates, beaming as their eyes met the victors.

"You've done it!" Giselle exclaimed, embracing each of them in thanks. Riku tensed up as she hugged him, afraid that her infatuation still lingered. "Oh, calm down. It was only a hug of gratitude."

"You sure about that?" Riku laughed uneasily. "Because a couple of days ago…"

"That was different," she shrugged, her eyes darting briefly to Sora. "I know the truth now."

He wanted to ask her what, exactly, she meant, but kept his mouth shut in the presence of the others.

"Andalasia thanks you," said Edward. "And, as successor to the throne, I would like to grant you any wish you desire."

"Thanks, but… We're just happy to help, really," shrugged Sora. "It'd be great if you gave us a place to rest up for a day, but other than that-"

"Granted," Edward nodded.

An inner contentment washed over Riku. It was the first time since they had began their adventure that he felt as though they had made everything right, placed every aspect back to its equitable position. He wandered back into the castle, following behind the others. His mind was, if only for a moment, in peace.

* * *

Sora stood on the balcony of the large chamber Edward had given them to rest. He looked out at the countryside, marveling at how everything could appear to be so perfect. And yet he knew that in that so-called perfection lurked cancers, rotting limbs, jaundiced eyes… every evil he could imagine. It could never be weeded out completely. Just as the Darkness in his heart could never be fully quelled, the Darkness of the worlds would continue to plague him for the rest of his life.

"You've got that look on your face," said Kairi, appearing at his shoulder. She looked around the railing, suspicious eyes on his.

"What look?" he asked, snapping back to reality.

"That look that tells me you're a million miles away," she leaned her elbows over the railing.

"Yeah, well… My mind wanders, I guess," he shrugged, a guilty twinge coming over him in the finally still atmosphere. Oh, God. He had kissed Riku. They'd kept up their promise to keep away from each other for what, a week? It was inexcusable, pathetic. His eyes snapped away from hers as though they weren't worthy of looking into those of the girl who had, mere hours ago, saved his life.

But he couldn't say anything to Kairi. Despite her toughened exterior, he knew she was still conflicted with an inner turmoil that had begun when she first returned to Radiant Garden. Sora doubted anyone could get over such a shock that quickly. So despite the fact that his conscious screamed out, begging him to tell Kairi the truth, Sora kept the information to himself. He knew that using Kairi's emotions was a useless scapegoat, but if he thought about it long enough, maybe he could convince himself of its legitimacy.

"We're leaving tomorrow morning, then?" she asked.

"We probably should," said Sora. "I usually only like to stay in a place long enough to recover. The longer we sit around, the more damage they cause."

"Where do you think Maleficent is?"

Sora shrugged. "Who knows? She must've had a lot of faith in her cousin's ability. Either that or she didn't think we'd be able to get back. She's always severely overestimated her allies and underestimated her enemies."

"I wish she'd been here."

Sora turned his head to see Riku standing at the doorway, eyes staring into the distance, drenched in hatred. He knew that Riku possessed a long-standing vendetta against Maleficent, the one who had led him on the path to Darkness those years before.

"We'll get her; don't worry," assured Sora. "There's no way she's getting away this time."

"Don't be so quick to underestimate her," said Riku. "I know you defeated her once, but keep in mind she managed to somehow claw her way back. And if we had that much trouble with Narissa, I'll bet Maleficent's ten times worse."

"Maybe we wouldn't have had so much trouble if _someone _would practice regular spells rather than relying on dark magic all the time," Kairi glared at him, the worry on her brow visible despite her criticism.

"I'm gonna have to agree with Kairi on this one," Sora admitted. "Dark Aura did nothing but hurt you today. Also made my 'stay away from her head' advice completely obsolete."

"Hey, we beat her, didn't we?" Riku argued lamely.

"Yeah, thanks to Kairi," Sora said gravely.

"Listen," Kairi approached Riku, putting a hand on his arm. "I know Sora's crap at teaching magic-"

"Hey!"

"Well, you are!" she defended. "You have no patience for it whatsoever! I know my spells aren't as powerful as his yet, but maybe I can teach you some mid-grade magic at least."

"Well, I dunno… Maybe," Riku conceded.

Sora shook his head. Riku had never been good at accepting areas in which he could improve. He seemed more willing to admit his shortcomings to Kairi than he was to Sora though. He supposed the constant competition in their younger years had left them both defensive of their own abilities.

"Great!" she exclaimed. "I just have to prepare. Meet me in the courtyard in half an hour?"

"Hey! I never agreed to-"

"Sounds good; I'll see you there!"

With that Kairi left them standing on the balcony. Riku stared dumfounded at the door through which she had exited. "How'd she do that?"

Sora laughed. "I guess Kairi doesn't wait for answers anymore. She cuts you off and leaves before you can get out a rational response. Looks like you're stuck."

Riku frowned. "I owe it to her anyway, after… you know. And even if she isn't… I still feel like scum."

"_You _feel like scum?" Sora asked. "I was her boyfriend for over a year. What kind of person does something like that?"

Riku bit his lip as though he were struggling to keep his thoughts to himself. "Are you still in love with her?"

"God, Riku… I don't know…" Sora's voice was drenched in regret. "It just seems like no matter how much we try to uncomplicate this situation, it keeps getting worse."

"We're human. I guess that's what happens," Riku frowned.

"Along with being horrible and selfish," Sora ran his hand along the balcony railing absentmindedly. "I feel like we should tell her, but if we do she'll just tell us to get back together and pretend to be happy for us no matter how much she's hurting. That's what Kairi does."

"So we're just not going to say anything until the guilt makes us blurt something out?" Riku laughed, but there was no humor in his tone. "Hope everything resolves itself on its own? I mean, it was only a kiss…"

"Rationalizing much?"

"I thought that was the point of this whole conversation."

Riku left Sora to his thoughts once more, which, lately had been proving to be a dangerous thing. He loved traveling with Kairi and Riku, but it was times like this that made him realize just how much living like this - assuming the roll of heroes and trying to be selfless while still retaining some sense of normalcy - had caused his personal life more problems than he could have imagined. He had been overjoyed to leave Destiny Islands all those months ago, glad that the two people he cared about the most were finally accompanying him. That liking for their comradery never left him, but he knew his current situation would have sounded completely impossible to the Sora who flew their ship off of Destiny Islands that day.

He sighed. Perhaps life wasn't meant to have resolution. As the sun began to shadow itself behind the horizon, Sora left the balcony, hoping the next world would bring him the peace of mind he had been missing for so long.

* * *

No I don't thrive on UST, what are you talking about?

I have a lot of ideas for what world I want to take them next, I'm just not entirely sure about what order and everything. I have an, uh, _interesting _idea for one of the worlds that I'd like to test out. We'll see though.

Again, I'm so sorry for going so long without an update. Thank you so much for being patient with my slacker self!


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